Chasing The Sun
by SweetCinnamonPumpkin
Summary: What would Twilight be like if Edward fell for Jessica instead of Bella? A humoristic approach from Jessica's POV.
1. Chapter 1

Not your average Twilight fanfic. Enjoy!

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It's another dreary day at Forks High. Except for the new girl, that is. It's not every day we get a new kid in Forks, and this one's Chief Swan's daughter. Bella seems nice enough, a little boring though. And she always has her head down with her hair falling in front of her face. Reminds me of Samara from The Ring, as harsh as that sounds. I really hope she doesn't have issues; this school has enough weirdoes already. Only one way to find out. After Spanish, I invite her to join my table in the cafeteria. She mumbles something I can't make out, but then she nods her head jerkily. I let out a loud sigh. As we walk to the cafeteria, I babble about teachers and classes, just for something to say. I **hate** awkward silences.

As we slide into our seats at the table, I spot Mike's spiked hair out of the corner of my eye. I lean forward in my chair to get a better look. He's wearing a light blue sweater today that matches the exact shade of his eyes. Damn, he's cute. Not going to lie, I'd tap that.

"Hey, Mike," I say, shooting him my brightest smile. He looks up and returns the smile, waving cheerily at me.

"Hey, Jess."

I let out a quiet groan as I see his eyes fall on Bella. Of course Mike would be excited at the idea of a new girl. She's the only one in town who doesn't know that he wet his pants in grade two. Unless I told her… which I won't. For now.

Mike looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to introduce him to Bella. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his eagerness as I turn to her. "Bella, this is Mike. Mike, Bella."

Mike throws Bella the most desperate grin I've ever seen and waggles his eyebrows at her. I choke a little on my milk, and I have to pretend to laugh to brush it off. Bella turns tomato red and bats her eyelashes at lightning speed before looking back down at her almost empty lunch tray. Usually, I would rip out the hair of any girl who dared to bat her eyelashes at Mike, but I notice that eyelash-batting seems to be something Bella does on a regular basis. That and twitching. She seems to be a very twitchy sort of person.

I turn back to Mike and narrow my eyes at him. Sure, he's a looker, but he has the maturity of a five-year-old boy. Not to mention a pretty crappy personality. I mean he can be sweet and he's adorable, but I've seen the moody side of him and it isn't any fun.

Ben, who's sitting beside Mike, can't seem to keep his eyes of Angela. Knowing Angela, she probably thinks that Ben is staring at Bella, even though they aren't sitting anywhere near each other. Angela's the kind of girl who isn't insecure but doesn't flatter herself. To be honest, sometimes I wish I was more like her. I'm the type of girl who's either super confident or super insecure, and it gets to be a hassle sometimes. Especially around guys.

Eric, who's sitting to Bella's left, has been trying to get Bella's attention ever since she first sat down at the table. I catch him wave his hand in her face once, and I have to grit my teeth to stop myself from laughing out loud. Suddenly, I notice that Bella is staring past our table and all the way over to the far corner of the cafeteria. I follow her gaze and exhale heavily when I realize that she's staring at the Cullens.

'Great,' I think, taking another sip of my milk. 'Here come the questions.'

I probably shouldn't be so bitter. The Cullens have inspired me to come up with one of my greatest theories yet. Ever since they moved into town, they've kept to themselves, secluded from the rest of Forks High. From their flawless complexions (foundation, obviously) to their killer bodies, they are sickeningly perfect. This is why I have come to the conclusion that the Cullens are the pale versions of the Kardashians. They are the Kullens.

Sure enough, after a few moments, Bella turns to me with wide eyes. "Who are **they**?"

I roll my eyes, but Bella doesn't seem to catch it. How can I describe the Cullens to a girl who is seeing them for the first time? I look over to their table, narrowing my eyes as I scrutinize each one of them.

The large one with tons of curly black hair is Emmett. The gorilla of the group. He manages to intimidate everyone in Forks High, including the teachers, with one single look. Sitting beside him is his adopted brother Jasper, the blonde psychopath. He looks like he wants to murder everyone he makes eye contact with, and I have to admit, he scares me the most out of all of them. The psychopath has his arm around the waist of spiky-haired Alice, his adopted sister and (shudder) girlfriend. This girl is thin in the extreme, and she makes me want to buy her a cheeseburger. With fries. Sitting beside Alice is Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend and the only Cullen that I somewhat respect. Because honestly, God only knows how long it took her to get a body like that. And she seems like the only Cullen who isn't fake. Sure, she has a disdainful expression on her face all the time and she looks down her nose at everyone, even her family, but at least she's real about it.

And lastly, Edward. The Kim of the Kullens. He's the broodiest of them all, probably because he's the only one who isn't in a relationship. He has this expression on his face that just screams 'I'm judging you', and it constantly gets on my nerves. His bronze hair may look dreamy to other girls, but all I see is five-hundred-dollar highlights. What kind of douche gets highlights? He probably moisturizes his face everyday too. And I wouldn't be surprised if that was guyliner making his eyelashes look so dark and thick.

But, of course, I can't say all of this to the new girl. So I turn back to her and flash her what I hope is a cheery smile. "The Cullens."

Bella stares back at me with raised eyebrows and a slightly open mouth, obviously waiting for me to continue. I sigh for what feels like the hundredth time today. "Edward, Emmett and Alice Cullen, and the blonde ones are Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife."

I've only ever met Dr. Cullen once before, when I sprained my ankle in volleyball two years ago. He's just as sickeningly perfect as his adopted children, but I can't help but like him because of how nice he was to me about my ankle. From what I hear, his wife is just as pretty as the rest of them and just as nice as her husband. This leaves me wondering how their adopted children ended up being so unfriendly.

"They are... very nice-looking," Bella manages to choke out, her gaze fixated on the Cullens' table. I raise my eyebrows at her and I can't help but feel sorry for her for being so awkward. I mean, she's a pretty girl but the awkwardness just kills it.

"I guess?" I reply, shrugging slightly. Bella, who is **still **staring at the Cullens, suddenly goes bright red again and looks down at her lap. I turn around to look at the Cullens' table and find Kim – I mean Edward – looking at Bella with slightly raised eyebrows. His eyes suddenly swivel to meet mine, obviously expecting me to look down as well, but I glare back pointedly until he looks back down at his bagel.

I watch him pick at his bagel for a few moments with an incredulous expression on my face. I know he isn't going to eat it; none of them eat. But it's pretty entertaining to watch them think they're fooling all of us. They're probably all anorexic. I look down at my steaming pizza, scoffing under my breath. Been there, done that, **so **not worth it.

I turn my gaze back on the Cullens and I take a big chomp out of my pizza, making myself clearly visible to them as I chew on the cheesy deliciousness with relish. I can see Ki –** Edward** – smiling as I devour my pizza, but quite frankly, I couldn't care less.

As I polish off my lunch, I notice that Bella is turning red again. I look up to find that the Kullens are on the move, heading for the cafeteria doors, which are unfortunately just past our table. As they sashay in our direction, I can't help but think that their posse should have a theme song. I snicker at the thought until I catch Edward looking straight in my direction, as though he somehow knew what I was thinking. I look up towards the ceiling and thank the heavens that no one can read my thoughts. Imagine the horror if my Kardashian theory got out.

I can see Bella batting her eyelashes and biting at her lower lip out of the corner of my eye, and I roll my eyes. Why do girls bite their lower lip anyway? I've tried it before and it kind of hurts. Besides, Mike didn't even seem to notice.

I look up at Edward as he passes our table, and I notice him do a double take when he sees Bella batting her eyelashes in his direction. I have to slap my hand over my mouth to stop my laugh from echoing throughout the cafeteria. He throws her a weird look before his eyes flicker to my face. His mouth curves into a smirk when he catches me laughing, and I quickly drop my hand and narrow my eyes back at him. I hate guys who smirk. I've always associated smirks with arrogant, selfish bastards. I watch the back of Edward's head with a scowl on my face. If only looks could kill...

As soon as the thought forms in my head, Edward looks straight at me with an unfathomable expression on his face. I meet his gaze with a glare, determined not to break eye contact. The first thing I notice is how black his eyes are; I've never noticed that before. I scoff under my breath. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then I'm looking straight into Edward Cullen's black, stony, ice-cold soul. Nice to know.

Suddenly, he starts laughing. Edward is laughing almost maniacally in the middle of the cafeteria, and he's looking right at me. I stare back, fully aware of the look of pure disbelief on my face. All of his siblings are looking at him with confused expressions except for Alice, who promptly grabs Edward by the elbow and drags him out of the cafeteria with considerable ease.

I turn to look at Bella, who's watching me with a blank expression on her face. I give her a noncommittal shrug and turn back to what's left of my lunch, trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

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	2. Chapter 2

Third period today, I'm sprawled out on the front steps of the school, frantically scribbling the answers to last night's English homework. I usually jump at the chance to skip Chemistry, but it's hard to be excited about finishing homework, especially when it's been assigned by one Mr. Blume. I pause for a moment to shudder. Hate is a strong word, but not strong enough to describe my feelings towards Mr. Blume.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blows the papers right out of my hands, knocking my book down the stairs with them. I look up in shock to find none other than Edward Cullen standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking back up at me with a wary expression on his face. I throw my hands up in the air, getting up off the stairs. How the hell did he manage to knock a solid book out of my hands just by running past me? I storm down the stairs and grab my book up off the ground, throwing a pointed glare in Edward's direction. "If there is a single dent on this book, you're paying for it."

Edward sighs, running his hands through his bronze hair. "I'm sorry."

I watch with narrowed eyes as he picks my papers up off the floor, stacking them neatly within seconds. It makes me want to knock my own papers out of his hands. There is just something about him that annoys me. What's with the big rush anyway? I'll bet he's probably rushing to make out with his model girlfriend from Brazil. Or Cuba. Whatever. Jerk.

My thoughts cut off when I catch the murderous expression on his face. His jaw is clenched as if his life depends on it, and though I can't see them, I bet his fists are too. Constipation, maybe?

I can almost smell the smoke coming out of Edward's ears by this point. My mind strays to the lyrics of that old Sean Kingston song. How does it go again? _Somebody call 9-1-1, shawty fire burning on the dance floor_ – NO. God dammit, Jess, this is not the time for that!

For some reason, the snarl on his face disappears and his mouth starts to twitch slightly. His eyes travel down to my papers, which are still in his hands. I watch with a raised eyebrow as he scans my paragraph responses – okay, they are more like two sentence answers – to Othello. He suddenly holds the papers out to me, his stupid coal-black eyes twinkling like Christmas came early. "Question three asks for specific examples about race as a theme in Othello. I highly doubt that 'everyone's hatin' is a sufficient answer."

My eyes narrow as his hands rise to form the air quotations, and I snatch my papers out of his hands. Stupid, arrogant, intolerable know-it-all. "Excuse me for wanting my answers to be short and sweet. Not everyone spends hours dreaming up prose for their English homework."

"And not everyone skips Chem to finish it," Edward retorts. I open my mouth to snap back at him, but then I remember something. Chem? How does he know I have Chem third period?

Before I can open my mouth and bust him for being the stalker that he is, Edward turns on his heel and heads for the parking lot without another word. I roll my eyes and stuff my homework back into my bag. Kim Kullen has left the premises.

I sling my bag over my back and head towards the school with the intention of heading to the washroom to touch up what is left of my mascara when I catch Bella slipping out of a classroom. Hmm. Interesting. I walk over to her and tap her on the shoulder, resisting the urge to smirk when she jumps back and lets out a little shriek.

"Oh, Jessica, you scared me," Bella breathes, holding a hand over her heart. I raise my eyebrows at her, looking back pointedly at the door to her biology classroom.

"Are you skipping class on your first day?" I ask, throwing her my best interrogating parent look. She turns beet red and begins to mumble incoherently. I promptly cut her off, taking her out of her misery. "Biology was that boring?"

"No, I was just – " Bella looks around, biting at her lower lip. I watch her teeth gnaw at the skin of her lip with a slightly disgusted expression on my face. Her eyes flash back up to mine, as wide as tennis balls. "Ha-have you seen Edward?"

My eyebrows rise even higher than they already are. "Edward… as in Cullen?"

She nods, gnawing at that damn lip again. I sigh, folding my arms across my chest. "Yeah. Just passed him on his way out to the parking lot. Why?"

Bella's face takes on a dejected expression and she looks down at her shoes. "Oh, no reason. Hey, do you know where room A67 is?"

"Yeah, you go down the stairs near the left wing and turn right, then right again," I say. After catching the blank expression on Bella's face, I sigh. "My next class is that way, I'll walk you there."

Bella turns red again, and she gnaws at her lip before responding. "Thanks."

We walk down the stairs in silence, seeing as there isn't much to be said in a narrow stairwell. I have to grab Bella's elbow as she nearly slips on the last step, and she shoots me a grateful grimace. I can't help but cringe for her. Honestly, how can there be so much awkward in one person?

I come to a stop in front of my classroom and turn to Bella with what I hope is a friendly smile. "Well, this is my class."

Bella's eyes travel past me to land on something in the classroom, and I turn around to find Edward sitting in the back corner looking out the window. My eyes widen and I'm aware that my mouth is hanging wide open as I try to figure out how he got from the parking lot to English so quickly.

"Well, I should get going," says Bella, bobbing on the spot slightly before taking off down the hall. I watch her retreating figure for a few moments before walking into class. I take one look at the classroom and let out a groan.

My English class is made so that there are only two seats at the back by the window because a row of computers takes up the rest of the space. Edward is in the seat by the window, and to my dismay, the only spot left is the seat right next to him. He looks up just as I grit my teeth, and I watch as he analyzes the situation. His eyes flicker to mine before staring straight out the window again. Huh. Kim has spoken.

Taking a deep breath, I weave through the desks and over to the seat beside his. Throwing my bag down on the floor, I slide into my seat, folding my arms across my chest. 'C'mon, Jess,' I think, staring straight ahead at the chalkboard. 'You are a strong woman who can take on **anything**. This one irritating, self-absorbed bastard isn't going to get to you.'

Edward coughs beside me, obviously trying to cover a snicker. I glare over at him, but I don't say a word. There's no way I'm giving him the satisfaction of a retort. I lean down and pull my notebook out of my bag, flipping it to a fresh page to doodle for a bit.

When I look back at my finished sketch, I find that I have drawn a guillotine with someone inside it. Upon closer inspection, I realize that the hostage is Edward. I bring my arm up to cover the drawing, but Edward is already glancing at the page.

"I think your subconscious is trying to tell you something," he says with a smirk, rubbing at his neck protectively. I frown, pulling my notebook off the table and into my lap.

'How would he know that I didn't mean to draw that?' I think, tapping my pen against my rather violent doodle. 'Wait, how would he even know that that's him? I'm pretty shitty at drawing, that could be Ronald McDonald for all he knows.'

I look sideways at him to find that his mouth is twitching again. My frown deepens as I wonder what the hell he's laughing about. Mr. Blume chooses this moment to saunter into class, the lights reflecting off his balding head.

My vision blurs as I stare at the chalkboard, and I have to shake my leg every few seconds to stop myself from falling asleep. After taking attendance, Mr. Blume starts a class discussion about The Scarlett Letter, the book we were supposed to read over the holidays. I watched Easy A instead, because really, what's the difference?

I try to pass time by shading in my violent doodle. Edward leans over slightly, catching my attention. "I'm pretty sure there wasn't a guillotine in the book."

"Why don't I build one for you?" I growl through clenched teeth, shooting him a death glare.

"Ah, Ms. Stanley," Mr. Blume calls from the front of the classroom. I squeeze my eyes shut for a few moments before turning to face the devil of a teacher. He leers back at me, showing every last candy-corn colored tooth in his mouth. "Why don't you help me start off this discussion? Why do you think Hester refused to stop wearing the letter?"

'Because her best friend called her a dirty skank, and she wanted to show her how much of a dirty skank she could be!' I think, recalling the riveting plotline of Easy A. I glance over at Angela, who is watching me expectantly from the front of the classroom. 'Good thing Angela would never do that to me.'

"Any day now, Ms. Stanley."

I look back up at Mr. Blume, my eyes wide. I can't help but glance over at Edward, who has his lips pressed together to stop his laughter. I grit my teeth together before coming up with an answer off the top of my head. "Um... because it's a part of who everyone thinks she is?"

I can tell by the disappointed look in Mr. Blume's eyes that I've answered the question correctly. Yes! Take that, you conniving –

"But isn't identity something you can change?"

The class falls silent and everyone turns to see who had spoken. My jaw nearly drops as I turn to my left and realize that Edward, who **never** speaks in class, had just offered his opinion. Which happened to be against mine.

"No," I snap automatically, my eyes narrowing. Blood starts pumping to my face as I realize that the class – and Edward – is waiting for me to continue. "Because... uh... it's not her opinion, it – it's..."

"It's the townspeople's opinion," Angela pipes up, sensing my anxiety. "The townspeople's opinion is what makes up Hester's identity." I shoot her a grateful look, and she blinks in acknowledgement. Seeing as she was the one who lent me her copy of Easy A, I get the feeling that she knows I never actually read the book.

"But that has nothing to do with the fact that Hester insists on wearing the letter," Edward protests, this time looking straight at me so that I have no way of getting out of it.

"But she has no choice!" I retort, now thoroughly pissed off. "Taking off the letter would mean that the kids – I mean, townspeople – won. That would just be feeding their inextinguishable fire."

I can feel myself getting carried away, but I can't seem to stop myself. "I mean, I'd do the exact same thing if **my** best friend was calling me a dirty skank. Who does th – "

I stop as the class goes silent, and my eyes widen as I realize what I just said. "Oh, shit!"

If I thought it was silent before, it was nothing compared to now. I cover my mouth when I realize that I just swore twice in a row and possibly gave away my cover about having read The Scarlett Letter. Edward is now shaking with silent laughter, and I have to resist the urge to reach over and punch him in his stupid perfect nose.

Suddenly, I can't take the silence anymore. I push my chair back, wincing as it screeches awkwardly, and I pick up my books. I walk to the front of the class and stop in front of Mr. Blume, lowering my voice to a whisper. "I need to go to the bathroom."

Mr. Blume opens his mouth with the obvious intention of arguing, but I lean in and cut him off before he can even start. "It's a girl thing, Mr. Blume."

His eyes widen, and he nods wordlessly, allowing me to leave the class. I turn on my heel and walk out of the classroom with a confident stride despite the feeling of twenty-five pairs of eyes burning through the back of my head.

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Big thank you to Edrose, liragreen, gaaragirl202, livelaughread313, Winnie and SweetnSour CHICKen for their amazing reviews! And thank you to everyone who subscribed and favorited :)


	3. Chapter 3

I get out of my car the next morning, tilting my face upwards as I breathe in the fresh Forks air. The only thing that's missing is my usual accompaniment of Coldplay and The Fray, so I rummage through my bag to find my iPod. I swear under my breath when I realize that I left it at home, and I fold my arms over the hood of my car, banging my head on it repeatedly. What a great way to start off the day.

When I look up, my eyes catch none other than Edward Maybeit'sMaybelline Cullen. He's standing by his stupid shiny Volvo, his mouth quivering infuriatingly as he tries not to laugh. I glare back at him, feeling my eyes narrow. 'If you were any closer,' I think, gritting my teeth. 'I'd punch you in the face. Just saying.'

I unfold my arms and turn to leave when I hear an odd sound. It's a high-pitched screech that pierces my eardrums like a pointy Q-tip and leaves me wincing. I turn around to see Tyler Crowley's dark blue van skidding wildly across the layer of ice above the parking lot, headed straight in my direction. In the few seconds that I have to think, I wonder if I can somehow jump over my car like Spiderman. Or maybe I can duck underneath my car…

The last thing I do is look over at Edward, who is staring at me in horror. Suddenly, he shoots towards me like a bullet and pins me to the ground. I hear my head crack against the pavement, and I open my eyes just in time to see him stop the entire van with one hand. My mouth drops open, and I ogle stupidly at the deep dent in the van. Edward looks back at me and swears under his breath when he catches my shocked expression.

Suddenly, people start to scream. I wince and close my eyes, trying to block out the sounds. I can feel Edward's breath on my face, and I find myself wondering what mouthwash he's been using. Because damn, it smells good. "Jessica. Are you alright?"

My eyes open at the sound of his voice and I look at him with an incredulous expression. My eyes flicker to his hand, which seems completely unscathed. "Are **you** alright? What the… how is your hand not bent back on itself?"

Ignoring my question, he holds out a hand to help me sit up. I ignore his hand in turn and try to sit up, but I find that there's a throbbing ache on the left side of my head. I raise a hand to it, gritting my teeth. "Oh shit."

Edward's mouth curves into the slightest of smirks. "That's what I thought."

Smug bastard. I shoot him a glare, trying to ignore the pain. "How the hell did you get over here so fast? That was like watching a bullet shoot out of a gun!"

"I was standing right next to you, Jessica," he says slowly, as though doubting my sanity. My eyes narrow and I feel one of my eyebrows raise involuntarily.

"Oh, no you don't. I saw you with my own eyes."

Before I can continue, people begin to flock the van, trying to get to Tyler. I can see Mike, Ben and Angela trying to push their way through the crowd, and I let out an exhale of relief. At least they know I'm alive. I turn back to Edward. "So what is it?"

He frowns. "What is what?"

"Your secret to being a freaking human cheetah. And being able to stop a goddamn van with one hand."

"Are you sure you're alright?" asks Edward, raising his eyebrows in what any unsuspecting person would believe to be concern. "You hit your head pretty hard."

I can feel my expression hardening. "Excuse me? Are you questioning my sanity?"

His mouth quivers again, and I seriously contemplate punching him but I find that the pain in my head is getting stronger. By that time, the ambulance had arrived and the EMTs start to pull out stretchers. Edward refuses his, but goes on to snitch to them that I hit my head and possibly have a concussion. They come over to me with a neck brace but the words that come out of my mouth are so threatening that they don't even make me get on a stretcher. I sit in the back of the ambulance, seething that Edward gets to ride in the front. Unfortunately, I underestimated the impact on my head when I hit the ground, and I pass out in the back of the ambulance.

The next thing I know, I'm in the emergency room and a bloodstained Tyler Crowley is being put into the bed beside me. He looks over at me and his eyes widen when he sees that I'm awake. "Damn, Jess, I'm so sorry! I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong…"

He winces as a nurse starts dabbing at his face. I shrug slightly, trying to smile. "Don't worry about it. You missed me."

The nurse looks over at me, her eyebrows shooting for her hairline when she realizes that I'm awake. She calls for the doctor, who then wheels me away to the X-ray room. I resist the urge to scream "I TOLD YOU SO!" when they find that nothing is wrong. However, I'm forced to stay in the ER beside a constantly apologizing Tyler until I talk to a doctor, because apparently 'that's how the hospital runs'. Half an hour later, Tyler still hasn't shut up, so I close my eyes and ignore him, wishing that I had never gotten out of bed that morning.

"Is she sleeping?"

My eyes shoot open when I hear the voice, and I frown when I see Edward perched on the edge of my bed. "Yep."

I close my eyes again abruptly. I hear Tyler apologizing to Edward, and I scoff. Edward should be apologizing to him for pummeling his van… with his bare hands. My eyes shoot open again and I narrow them at him. How the hell did he do that?

"So, what's the verdict?" he asks, blinking innocently. I roll my eyes.

"There's nothing wrong, as I said **multiple** times."

"Which explains why you passed out in the back of the ambulance."

I glare at him, folding my arms across my chest and looking away. Dr. Cullen walks in at that moment, his hair blowing in the non-existent wind and his face putting any actor in Hollywood to shame. 'Curse the Cullens and their good looks,' I think, trying not to pout.

"So, Miss Stanley," Dr. Cullen walks over to my bed, nodding at Edward before turning to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I sigh, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. How many times was that question going to be asked?

"Your X-rays look good," he says, looking down at the chart in his hands. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"Did he really?" I snap, shooting a glare in Edward's direction. "You should check out his hand, Dr. Cullen. He slammed it into Tyler's van… you never know what he could've broken."

Edward narrows his eyes back at me, and Dr. Cullen chuckles good-naturedly, though completely ignoring my suggestion. I look between the two of them, noticing the slight tension, and my mind begins to whir as I come up with possible back stories.

"Well, everything looks good," says Dr. Cullen professionally. "Your parents are in the waiting room – you can go home with them now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"My **parents **are here? Sh – " I look at Dr. Cullen, remembering that I was in the presence of an adult. "Crap!"

Dr. Cullen smiles back, raising his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"

I quickly throw my legs over the side of the bed, getting up. "Nope."

I feel myself stagger and Edward reaches out to help, but I grab the end of the bed, shooting him a 'don't you dare touch me' look. I grab my bag off the floor, bringing a hand to my head as pain rushes to it.

"Take Tylenol for the pain," suggests Dr. Cullen. I shrug, trying to pass it off as the usual migraine.

"It isn't that bad."

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen says, smiling as he signs my chart. I glance over at Edward, a mischievous thought forming in my head.

"Lucky Edward is such a fast runner," I reply, forcing myself to smile. "Say, Dr. Cullen, is it even possible for someone to run that fast? And stop a car with one hand? You haven't been taking steroids lately, have you, Edward?"

The look Edward shoots me could've turned me to stone. Dr. Cullen laughs and claps Edward on the shoulder. "I sure hope not!"

Dr. Cullen turns to Tyler, his eyes widening slightly as he sees the cuts on his face. "I'm afraid **you'll** have to stay with us just a little bit longer."

I throw my bad over my shoulder and glance at Edward. "I've seen steroids before, and that's not what you're on. So how the hell did you do all that?"

"Can we have this conversation outside?" he hisses, his teeth clenched together. I shrug, gesturing for him to lead the way. He shows me out the door and into a short hallway, spinning around to face me once we're outside. "Was that really necessary?"

"How did you do it?" I ask, ignoring his question. I place my hands on my hips when Edward doesn't respond, completely aware of the angry schoolteacher expression on my face. "You owe me an explanation."

"I saved your life – I don't owe you anything."

The resentment in his voice only makes me angrier. "I don't remember asking you to save my life. What do I look like, a damsel in distress?"

Edward's eyebrows furrow together, and his mouth hardens into a straight line. "That van would have killed you."

"Not the point," I grumble, folding my arms across my chest. "I want to know why I just bullshitted that whole medical report for you."

"What do **you** think happened?" he snaps.

"Correction: know," I almost snarl back, feeling myself get defensive. "I **know** that you ran over to my car in like 0.75 seconds and I **know** that you stopped Tyler's van with nothing but your bare hand. I just want to know how."

Edward's mouth curves into a smirk that has no humor in it. "No one will believe that, you know."

My expression hardens. "I don't care."

Surprise flits across his face. "Then why does it matter?"

"Because I want to know the truth," I reply, a hint of 'duh' in my voice.

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

"Can't you just tell me and get over it?"

He sighs, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

I shrug, trying not to look too smug. "So I've been told."

"You're not going to let it go, are you?" he asks, his eyes narrowing.

"Nope."

His frown deepens. "In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment."

I glare back at him. Kim of the Kullens is back, bitches. I can feel the resentment building up inside of me. "Why did you even bother?"

Edward goes paler than I ever thought possible. "I don't know."

Before I can snap back, he turns around and walks away. I roll my eyes; I'll get my answer, one way or another. I'm Jessica Freaking Stanley. I **always** find things out. I walk out of the hallway and follow the signs into the waiting room. To my dismay, not only are my parents there, but so is half the school. After reassuring what feels like thousands of people, I get into the backseat of my parents' car grudgingly and let them drive me home. I trudge up the stairs as soon as I get home so that I can overdose on Tylenol and collapse onto my bed. That's the first night I dream of Edward Cullen. I'm punching him in the face. It's a damn good dream.

* * *

Huge thanks to gaaragirl202,hollywoodbgirl, Edrose, Winnie, livelaughread313 and liragreen for their awesome reviews! :)


	4. Chapter 4

It's been a week since the accident, and I'm sick and tired of the non-stop questions. Everyone's dying to know exactly what happened, and I can't tell them because even **I** don't know what happened. My dad – my real dad, the one who turned out to be gay and is now married to a really hot guy and living in Los Angeles – called me the night after the accident to check on me. I love Lucas, my stepdad, but talking to Dad was awesome. I told him about Edward and how he refused to tell me what he was on, and Dad thinks it was steroids too. Edward's been avoiding me all week, and I can't blame him. I'd be avoiding me too.

I walk into English that day, thankful that it's the last period before lunch. My stomach is already grumbling; skipping breakfast was **not** a good idea. I smile and wave at Angela, but she doesn't smile back. She waves frantically at me instead, calling me over to her seat. Casting a wary glance around for any sign of Blume, I walk over to Angela's seat. "Hey, Ange. What's up?"

"Oh my gosh, Jess," Angela presses her lips together nervously. "Mike asked Bella to the dance yesterday."

I can feel my eyebrows shooting towards my hairline. "What? What did she say?"

Angela shoots me a grimace. "She said yes."

I grit my teeth; Bella's well aware about my little crush on Mike. I can't believe that she'd agree to go to the dance with him after knowing that. Shaking my head slightly, I put on a fake smile for Angela. "Whatever. Mike wouldn't be any fun anyways."

I take deep breaths as I walk over to my seat at the back of the classroom, trying to keep my calm. I'm surprised to see that Edward's already in his seat, watching me with narrowed eyes. I slump into my seat, trying to take my mind off Mike and the dance. Remembering the accident and what Edward did, I look up with newfound purpose. I glance sideways at Edward, who's now looking poetically out the window. My curiosity is one of my biggest weaknesses, and I can't help but want to know how he got over to my car so quickly. Who knows, if the answer is good enough, I may be able to sell it and pay for college.

Edward turns around suddenly and meets my gaze, his eyes wide with shock. Caught in the act of staring, I force myself to smile and be polite. "'Sup, Cullen?"

He composes himself from his sudden spazz attack and smirks slightly at my greeting. "Jessica."

I turn around in my seat so that I'm angled towards him. "So guess what?"

Edward rolls his eyes a little before turning his full attention onto the smile plastered across my face. "What?"

"I'm done letting you brood," I make my 'tough girl' face, mustering all the sass I have. "Time to start talking."

"What, so you can sell it for money?"

I freeze, my eyes widening until they're the size of tennis balls. I can tell by the joking tone to his question that he isn't serious, but it still freaks me out that he somehow managed to figure out my intentions.

"… No, of course not," I say, waving my hand airily. "Stop avoiding the question."

"You didn't ask a question," Edward replies, his smirk widening. I grit my teeth, reminding myself that murder would put me in jail, and I can't go to college if I'm locked up.

"Fine," I sigh, folding my arms across my chest. "How did you get over to my car so fast?"

"Alright, quiet down."

I let out an exasperated cry as Mr. Blume walks in, throwing my hands up into the air. Edward looks over at me and shrugs innocently, that damn smirk never leaving his face. "Tough luck."

"I'll show you tough luck," I grumble, turning to face the front of the classroom. I'd get the answer out of him sooner or later.

* * *

Lunch finally arrives after what feels like three hours. I sit down beside Bella and Angela, digging right into my fries with my fingers. I still haven't said much to Bella, only because I know that something rude is bound to come out. She doesn't seem to notice that I'm pissed off anyways. Whatever. I hope she doesn't mind that Mike picks his nose occasionally.

"Blume's getting really tough lately," says Angela, taking a bite of her sandwich. "He gave me an 80 on that essay I spent all weekend on."

"Really?" I ask, shrugging slightly as I throw a French fry into the air, catching it in my mouth. "He gave me a 65. Go figure!"

Angela snickers, putting her sandwich down. Suddenly, she looks past us and frowns at something in the distance. "Uh, Edward Cullen's looking over here."

I lean past Bella and see that Edward is sitting all alone at his usual table. I want to walk right up to him and demand the answers I deserve, but I don't. Suddenly, Edward raises a hand and motions with his index finger. I raise my eyebrows, glancing at him with disgust. Who does that? That's so damn creepy! Bella's chair screeches against the floor as she stands up abruptly, and I exhale heavily as she starts walking towards Edward, relieved that it wasn't me he was calling.

I continue to throw French fries up into the air and catch them in my mouth, knowing that I'll corner Cullen sooner or later. And once I do, I'll get that secret out of him. And then I'll write an expose, send it to a magazine or a newspaper and hit the jackpot. I'll never have to worry about college ever again. I chew on the French fries happily, ignoring the odd looks I'm getting from Angela.

I feel someone tap me on the shoulder all of a sudden, and I turn around to find a red-faced Bella standing behind me. "He's asking for you."

I whirl around to look at Edward, who waves casually at me. I look back up at Bella, who's about the shade of a tomato by this point. Realizing what just happened, I bite back the urge to laugh and grit my teeth instead.

"Maybe he needs help finishing that lunch," I say, eyeing Edward's plate of pasta. After all, he **is** anorexic. "I better go see what he's got."

I get up and start walking to his table before I realize that I forgot the rest of my fries. I race back to my table and grab my fries before making my way over to Edward. He's smirking at me again, but I try not to let it get to me. I jerk my head upwards, wordlessly asking him what he wants because I still have some fries in my mouth.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asks, gesturing to the seat beside him. I glance at it briefly to make sure it isn't rigged before sitting down carefully.

"Why, because you got ditched by your siblings?"

Edward rolls his eyes. "Actually, I asked for a bit of privacy."

He smirks suggestively and I blink in confusion. Is this Cullen's way of flirting? Because it sucks. Mike eating an egg is flirtier than this. I can probably give him some flirting tips myself. Hell, Bella can probably give him some flirting tips.

By this point, Edward's ducking his face, trying not to laugh. I frown. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he manages, finally bringing his head up out of his arms. "Didn't you have some questions to ask?"

"Oh, yeah!" I clasp my hands over the table, narrowing my eyes at Edward. "Spill, boy. What's your secret?"

I cross my fingers, hoping that it's a new type of steroid. Edward raises his eyebrows slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips, but he doesn't let it get through. Instead, he folds his hands over the table, imitating me.

"Hm," Edward presses his lips together, thinking for a few moments. "I'll tell you… if you'll go to the dance with me."

I gape at him for a few seconds, frozen in shock. "W-what? Why?"

"Because I don't have a date," he says simply, rapping his fingers on the table. "And to be completely honest, I don't trust you to not sabotage Newton's night."

"Excuse me?" I raise my eyebrows at him, offended. "I was not planning on sabotaging Mike's night, thank you very much."

"Really?" asks Edward, smirking at me. I grit my teeth. Alright, so maybe I was contemplating it. But that didn't mean I'd go through with it.

"I'm not going to the dance with you, Cullen," I spit, impressed by how bitter I sound. Edward shrugs nonchalantly, turning away from me with the obvious intention of keeping the secret to himself.

"Suit yourself."

I growl under my breath. 'College, Jess,' I think, clenching my fingers together. 'This is for college. Take one for your future.'

I look back at my table, where Bella is pretty much hanging onto our every word. Angela looks up at me questioningly, but I can't exactly tell her that I'm pretty much being bribed to go to the dance with Edward Cullen. Groaning, I turn back to Edward. "Fine."

He looks back at me, raising his eyebrows innocently. "Pardon me?"

"I'll go to the dance with you," I clarify, rolling my eyes when a genuine smile appears on his face. "Now tell me what you're on!"

His smile twists into a smirk. "What would you say if I told you I wasn't on anything?"

"I'd call you a filthy liar," I say calmly, tilting my head to a side. He glances up at me, his smirk disappearing.

"I promise, Jessica," Edward says, his voice low. "I'm not on anything."

I feel my heart sink as soon as the words leave his lips. I look up at the sky and say a silent prayer for the expose that was never born before glaring at Edward. "Then how did you do that?"

"Guess," he says, his eyes twinkling like a fairy's wand. I raise my eyebrows, accepting the challenge.

"Fine," I lean back in my chair, thinking for a moment. "Are you, like, genetically engineered? Like Captain America?"

Edward's mouth curves into his trademark smirk. "Nope."

I gasp, gripping onto the edge of the table suddenly. "Thor."

"Nope," he says, laughing openly this time. He narrows his eyes, thinking for a second. "What if I told you I wasn't the good guy?"

I look up at him slowly, my heart thudding in my chest. "Oh… my gosh."

Edward's eyebrows furrow together, as though I suddenly sprouted antlers. I slap the table loudly, ignoring the glances I get from the others in the cafeteria. "Oh SHIT! You're Loki!"

Edward's head falls back into his arms as he starts shaking with laughter. I'm too excited to be pissed at his pointless snickers, so I settle for slapping the tabletop repeatedly instead.

"Ohmygosh, please say you're Loki," I beg, tapping my shoes against the floor. "That would be so awesome. I would probably forgive you for trampling my homework and being an ass in general."

Edward finally looks up, laughter still in his eyes. "No, I am not Loki. And I am not a general ass."

I let out a snort, covering my mouth with my hands. He raises his eyebrows at me questioningly, and I have to take a moment before I can reply. "General Ass?"

Edward rolls his eyes, but I can see him holding back laughter again. I let out a sigh, leaning forward in my chair. "Sorry, bud. That's all I've got."

"You weren't even close," says Edward teasingly, earning a glare from me. I fold my arms across my chest.

"Well, you have to give me a hint."

He thinks for a moment, looking just above my head. "I'm well-known in literature."

"Well, that rules out superheros," I grumble, disappointed. I sniffle suddenly, remembering something else. "And supervillains."

Edward watches me for a few moments, his eyes narrowing. "I'll give you another clue."

I raise my eyebrows and nod expectantly, leaning forward to hear his words. His voice is so low that I can barely catch it. "Your supervillains are nothing compared to me."

I lean back in my chair, now thoroughly confused. Before I can ask him to expand further on this, I hear someone cough behind me. I swivel around in my seat to find Bella standing behind me, wringing her hands together nervously.

"S-sorry to interrupt," Bella stutters, her blank expression revealing that she isn't sorry at all. "But we have to go to gym, Jess."

"Right," I mutter, grabbing my French fries off the table. I shoot Edward a 'We'll talk about this later' look. "See ya later, Edward."

"Bye, Jess," Edward replies quietly as I get up out of my seat. I look up at Bella to find her batting her eyelashes in his direction and I roll my eyes. Seriously?

It isn't until I'm in gym, kicking some ass in volleyball, that I realize that Edward called me Jess. Huh. Maybe I should start calling him Eddie.

* * *

Big thanks to Winnie, livelaughread313, Edrose, NessaTruNorthman, liragreen, lolipopasha and anon for their amazing reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

"So what did Edward want at lunch?"

I look over at Bella, who's obviously trying to seem inconspicuous. It's then that I realize that I completely forgot about devouring Edward's lasagna. 'Dammit,' I think, my mouth watering slightly as I imagine the cheesy layers of Italian goodness. 'I'll get it next time.'

"Jess?" Bella's eyes widen slightly and she waves a hand in front of my face. I narrow my eyes, recognizing the gesture. That's what I usually do to her.

"He, uh, wanted some help with English," I said imaginatively, spinning the story as I went. "You know, because it isn't his first language."

Bella's eyebrows rise in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, he speaks Czechoslovakian."

"… That isn't even a language," says Bella, frowning. I swear under my breath, making a mental note to check my facts before using them.

"I know," I reply ominously, raising my eyebrows to emphasize the statement before entering the change rooms.

Volleyball is relatively uneventful. Well, until Bella's turn to serve comes around. Our team parts like the red sea as she comes up to the serving line, leaving a clear path for her to attempt to get the ball over the net. Though my survival instincts tell me to duck as she winds her hand back, I tell myself to play nice and keep my stance.

Bad idea.

As Bella hits the ball (with her elbow, may I add), her leg swings out and her shoe flies right off her foot. Unfortunately, I'm facing forward as I should be and the shoe hits the back of my head. Hard. I get knocked out for a few seconds, but I'm up off the floor faster than Bella realizes that her shoe left her foot.

"I'll take her to the nurse."

I look up to find Mike walking towards me, trying his best to hide a smirk. I nearly swoon as he bends down, arms outstretched to pick me up off the floor. My ecstasy only lasts a few moments, however, because Mike starts pulling me towards the door without even bothering to help me up.

I resist the urge to punch him in the face right then and there as he drags me down the hall, completely ignoring the growing bump on the back of my head. I can feel my head spinning wildly and bile starts to rise in my throat.

"Wow, Jess, you look kinda green," says Mike warily, glancing down at me.

"You don't say?" I snap sarcastically, glaring up at him. He raises his eyebrows obliviously and I look away, shaking my head.

"Jessica?"

The bile starts to rise again when I hear that annoyingly familiar voice. "Shit. Mike, walk faster, walk faster, walk – "

"Are you alright?"

I look up to find Edward standing in our path, eyes wide with what could be concern but is probably curiosity. I let my head drop down again. "I'm just splendid. Now go away."

I try to walk around him and I end up falling again, pulling Mike down with me. Mike scrapes his elbow on the floor and lets out a cry of pain, assuming the fetal position. I roll my eyes and rest my head on my knees, trying to stop the hallway from spinning.

I feel Edward's hands on my shoulders and I nearly jump up when I realize he's trying to pick me up. I flinch and pull away, waggling my finger threateningly. "No-no. You don't get to touch this."

He raises his eyebrows in amusement and offers his hand instead, which I take grudgingly since Mike is still bawling over his elbow. I try not to fall over again as Edward leads me down the hallway to the nurse's office. He looks down at me, his mouth twitching as he tries not to smirk. "You look awful."

I stare back at him, my expression incredulous. "Gee thanks, Captain Obvious. Not everyone has time to perfect their guyliner in the morning."

His smirk widens, the insult rolling right off him. "Why do you always get hurt?"

"Why are you so annoying?" I retort, wincing as my head throbs again.

Edward tries to stop, but I tug on the sleeve of his sweater to tell him to keep walking. "How did that even happen?"

I grimace. "Bella hit me in the head with her shoe when she was serving."

Edward's eyebrows shoot up again. "How…"

"Yeah, I don't know," I reply, shaking my head. His mouth curves into a smirk again as we enter the nurse's office. The nurse looks up from her desk and frowns.

"Oh, not you again," she says, almost sympathetically. Edward snickers, but falls silent when I throw him my dirtiest look. The nurse leads us to a cot and gestures for him to help me onto the bed. I reluctantly let him lift me onto the bed, narrowing my eyes as his smirk widens.

"Okay, you can go back to class now," I say quickly as Edward steps away from the cot. He glowers back at me, looking fleetingly at the nurse.

"But I'm supposed to stay with you," he replies authoritatively, folding his arms across his chest. The nurse shrugs as I glare at him for what feels like the hundredth time that day.

"I'll go get some ice for your head," says the nurse, disappearing into the back room. I turn my gaze back onto Edward, who stares right back at me. We're silent for a few moments, and though I hate awkward silences, I'm determined not to lose this staring contest.

"So, are you and Mike still on speaking terms?" asks Edward unexpectedly. I feel my heart skip a beat as I take in what he just said.

"What d'you mean?" I reply, trying to look indifferent. "Of course we are."

"Oh," Edward's eyebrows rise again. "I just thought that you might be upset about Newton going to the dance with Isabella."

"What? Why would that upset me?" I ask innocently. He looks back at me skeptically. "What? Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Because I – " Edward breaks off, making me wonder what he was going to say. "Because I thought you liked him."

I raise my eyebrows as high as they go, letting my mouth drop open. Deny deny deny, Jess. "LOL! What? That is cray cray, bud. Like off the charts in-sane. Me? Liking Mike? Now that's a joke."

I laugh awkwardly, hoping that I didn't just blow my cover. I can tell that Edward is trying really hard not to laugh as he replies. "Alright. Whatever you say."

"What d'you mean, 'whatever you say'?" I repeat, making the air quotes. "There's no 'whatever you say' here. It's the truth."

"Mhm."

I glower at him, and he smirks right back at me. The nurse bustles back into the room and hands me the ice pack, which I hold at the back of my head. "Can I go now?"

"Are you sure you don't want to lie down for a bit more?" asks the nurse. Edward's smirk broadens even more, making me want to throw the icepack at his face.

"She's right, we wouldn't want you fainting. Again."

Oh no he didn't. I swing my feet off the bed and get up, willing my head not to spin. To my relief, the nurse's office stays how it should. I grimace as I walk past Edward and towards the door, thinking about how much I don't want to go to Trig. Suddenly, Edward reaches out and grabs my elbow. "Hold on."

I watch as he goes up to the desk and talks to the receptionist in a low voice. I roll my eyes as she bats her eyelashes Bella-style and nods to whatever bullshit Edward's feeding her. A few moments later, he walks back over to me and flashes a mega-watt grin. "You don't have to go to Trigonometry."

I narrow my eyes as I realize he's waiting for a thank you and I brush past him, heading for the door. I scoff as I open the door to find Mike still cradling his elbow in the hallway. "Mike. The only Mike I'd do is Magic Mike."

I feel my face turning red as I realize that I spoke aloud and I look sideways at Edward, who's also turning red but from trying to contain his laughter. I start to walk faster towards the parking lot, cursing myself mentally.

"Wait, where are you going?"

I turn around and raise my eyebrows at him. "To my car."

He speeds up to stand in front of me. "In that condition?"

"What am I, pregnant?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips. "I'm perfectly capable of driving a car."

"I'll drive you home," he says. I glare at him; the statement sounds more like a demand than an offer. He backtracks, his lips quirking up at whatever he's about to say. "Not for your safety, but for the safety of everyone else in Forks."

I grit my teeth at his assumption, but the voice at the back of my head tells me that he's right. "What about my car?"

"I'll have Alice drop it off afterschool," Edward replies simply, steering me towards his stupid shiny Volvo. I blink, taking a step back.

"Uh, no thanks. I don't think she'd appreciate having to play butler to a girl she's never met before."

"Oh, Alice knows you," says Edward cheerfully, pulling me towards the car. I raise my eyebrows at him, too afraid to ask how she knows me. I fold my arms across my chest and stand outside the open passenger door, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Just so you know, I have a rape whistle."

He laughs. "You won't be needing it."

"That's what they all say," I mutter as I climb into the car, fastening my seatbelt. He's in the driver's seat within seconds and the engine starts with a smooth hum. I roll my eyes as Clair de Lune starts playing.

"Seriously?" I scoff, gesturing towards the radio. "I don't even think my grandmother listens to this stuff."

I reach out and fiddle with the knobs, slapping Edward's hand away when he tries to stop me. I stop when Starships by Nicki Minaj blares through the stereo, my face splitting into a devious grin. I look sideways at Edward, who's staring at me in horror. "You have no one to blame but yourself," I remind him, waggling my finger. "You **did** offer to drive me home."

I roll the window down despite his cries of protest and I start to belt the chorus (off-key, of course), waving at the school janitor as we pull out of the parking lot. "HIGHER THAN A MOTHA – "

Edward pulls me back through the window as it slides up, obviously holding back another bout of laughter. I beam angelically at him, bopping my head to the beat. "Did you hear the Glee version? I would never have guessed that the singer was actually a guy."

Edward does a double-take, shooting me a confused look. "What?"

I roll my eyes. Newbies. "Never mind."

I continue to bob in my seat, looking out the window as the suburban houses whiz by. Edward glances at me, a small smile on his face. "How old are you, Jessica?"

I look back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Seventeen."

"You don't seem seventeen."

"I know, I'm so mature for my age, right?" I reply sarcastically. He rolls his eyes at me.

"Right."

We sit in semi-silence (Nicki Minaj is still rapping awkwardly in the background) as Edward drives down the streets of Forks. He breaks the silence suddenly, catching me off guard. "You're really different, you know?"

"Thanks?" I reply, frowning slightly. He smiles again; this time it's more genuine and less of a cocky smirk.

"It was a compliment."

My frown deepens. "Funny, didn't sound like one. I've always equated different to mentally unstable."

"Maybe just a bit…" Edward starts to hold up his thumb and pointer finger, showing an inch. I reach out towards the volume knob threateningly, and he quickly snaps his fingers together. "Just kidding."

I grin smugly. "Good. You'd better be."

"Or what?" he asks teasingly, his smirk returning to his face. My eyebrows furrow together as I try to think of the best threat I can.

"I'll force you to come with me and Angela to see Magic Mike."

Edward's eyebrows shoot up. "You're actually going to go see that?"

"Why is that even a question?" I ask, my eyebrows rising to mirror his expression. He shakes his head, turning back to the road.

"It's films like those that put unrealistic expectations on men," he says philosophically. I roll my eyes.

"That's the fun part," I say, glancing up at him out of the corner of my eyes. "Are you **jealous** of Channing Tatum?"

I look out the window as we pull up in my driveway. He parks his car and turns to me, his expression inquisitive. "Are you jealous of Isabella?"

I kick the door open and get out of the car, glaring at him the whole time. "I don't like Mike!"

I slam the car door and storm to my front door. Okay, so maybe I do like Mike a little, but that doesn't mean that I am jealous of Bella. Really? Of all people, did he really think I'd be jealous of **Bella**? I fumble around for my keys, fully aware that Edward is waiting for me to get inside before pulling out of the driveway.

As I open my door and throw my backpack inside the house, I realize that I never told Edward where I live. I freeze in the doorway, turning around slowly to stare at him in horror. Just as I start to walk towards his car again, he steps on the gas and speeds off down the road.

* * *

Sorry for the delay guys! Thanks to NessaTruNorthman, The Evil Policifer, Winnie, livelaughread313, lolipopasha, Edrose, storylover and Insanity's Bitch for their awesome reviews! :)


	6. Chapter 6

The next Monday is a holiday, so Angela, Bella (barf) and I decide to go dress shopping in Port Angeles. I'm still super creeped out about the Edward thing; I haven't talked to him since, but the incident was on Friday so I didn't really have a chance to. But who am I kidding? I wouldn't have talked to him any other day of the week.

I'm riding shotgun in Angela's bright red Chevy convertible. The top is down and Angela and I are belting out the lyrics to the new Taylor Swift song, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (which is pretty annoying, but hey, it's catchy). Bella looks mortified, so that's a plus point. I almost start to feel bad for her as she ducks her head behind the seat – almost.

"So, Jessica," Bella peers around the seat, blinking her eyes innocently. "Who are you going to the dance with?"

I can't believe she had the audacity to ask that question. Thankfully, I have an answer ready. I swivel around in my seat and flash an angelic smile in her direction. "Cullen."

Angela nearly hits a car as she looks over at me in shock. I haven't told Angela yet, seeing as I barely had the time, and Angela didn't ask because she's too tactful. Now that I've exposed myself, however, she's as curious as ever. "Edward Cullen?"

"Well, yeah," I reply, flipping my hair over my shoulder. I feel a surge of confidence as I bring out my inner Regina George. "The other ones are all taken."

I resist the urge to throw a glare in Bella's direction. Angela's eyebrows are still raised in surprise and a hint of approval. "Whoa. Edward Cullen. Who would've thought?"

"I know right?" I can't help but smirk at Bella. An eye for an eye, bitch. Bella's gone even paler than usual, and she's now staring at her fingernails. In all honesty, I'm not sure that I want to go to the spring dance with Edward, especially after the incident. But after Bella's rather prodding question, I couldn't help myself.

I regret revealing my date to the dance the moment we walk into the dress store. Because suddenly, it becomes all about Jessica. Don't get me wrong, I love attention, but not on matters like this. Angela is going out of her way to tell every single one of the sales associates that I've snagged the hottest guy in town, insisting that they bring out their finest dresses. Bella is sulking by the funeral racks, barely speaking to Angela and not at all to me. Hmph. Like I care.

"Jess!"

I look up to see Angela stumbling in my direction, her arms full of dresses. She drops them onto the circular sofa and pulls a peach-colored gown out of the pile. "Yeah? Yeah?"

I can't help but grin at Angela's eagerness. I take the gown from her and inspect it carefully. Huh. Not only is Angela the world's bestest (Yes, I know that isn't a word. No, I'm not going to stop using it) friend, but she also has a great eye for fashion. "Hopefully it'll look as good on me as it does off."

"It will, don't worry," Angela waves her hand airily before turning to Bella. "Oh yeah! Bella, I found a great dress for you! It's black, too!"

* * *

After what feels like hours, Bella finally reveals her true motive for coming with us to Port Angeles; she wants to go to a bookstore. This seems a little weird, seeing as there's a bookstore not more than five minutes away from her house, but I don't question her. She also reveals that she has no idea where the bookstore is, and being the nice person she is, Angela offers that we go with her.

Fantastic.

Which is why, ten minutes later, I find myself strolling through the aisles of a small Aboriginal bookstore on the outskirts of town. The windows are full of crystals, dream-catchers and books about spiritual healing. I can't help but wonder what Bella is looking for here – perhaps something cure her of her eternal awkwardness?

Angela goes into the back of the store to help Bella find the book she wants, leaving me in the doorway. I flip through a few books until I find one that looks vaguely interesting. The title is in a foreign language that reminds me of runes, but surprisingly, the text inside is English.

_The Cold Ones have been the enemies of the werewolves since before the Flood because of their natural instinct to hunt humans. _

"Huh," I mutter, glancing to the right at the drawing. It depicts a young Quileute man morphing into what looks like a wolf while another, more menacing man bares his pointy teeth at him.

_The Cold Ones have many names, including blood drinkers and pale faces, but they are more commonly known as vampires._

I let out a derisive snort. Now that wasn't a Quileute legend. The Quileute legends were based on nature, not supernatural creatures. Shaking my head, I slide the book back onto the shelf. I peer past the shelf, catching a glimpse of Angela's hair. "Ange! I'm going out to get some fresh air, but I'll meet you guys at that little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk!"

"Alright!" called Angela from the back, sounding preoccupied. Shrugging, I pull the front door open and saunter outside.

I wander through the streets, which are slowly beginning to empty, until I find the narrow alleyway we had passed on our way to the bookstore. According to Angela's GPS, there's a shortcut to the restaurant through the alleyway. I enter the passage with the confidence of Mufasa from the Lion King, but by the time I'm halfway in, I turn into Simba. I start to run as the alleyway gets dark, heading for the square of light at the end.

I sprint out of the alleyway with the speed of a bullet – and I hit a group of four men with the accuracy of a mud pie. I squint as I look up, realizing that I'm in an empty parking lot. I hold up my hands apologetically, stepping back from the men. "Sorry, sorry."

It only takes a few seconds for me to realize what I've walked into. The men are only a few years older than I am, dressed casually, and they look like trouble. One of them is holding a pack of Budweiser's beer, while the others are drinking out of a shared bottle. I wrinkle my nose at that – even I wasn't that cheap.

"Where're you off to in such a hurry?" One of the men, a thickset gorilla wearing a raggedy t-shirt, steps forward. I raise an eyebrow and step back. The men begin to laugh raucously, and they all start to step forward like their buddy.

"A little too close for comfort there," I say, congratulating myself mentally for keeping my voice steady. They keep walking forward, and I get into a defensive stance. "Was I not clear? Stay away from me."

"Aw, don't be like that!" The man holding the beer pack took another step forward, reaching out toward me. My eyes narrow; bad move.

It's basic self-defense, really. Heel of the hand thrust upward, breaking the nose. Finger through the eye socket, hooking around and nearly popping the eye out. And, of course, the standard knee to the groin. In less than ten seconds, I have three of the men scrambling back, shouting out in pain.

Unfortunately, I haven't managed to knock out the gorilla yet. And from the way he's advancing, I won't have much of a chance against him. I look around for some sort of weapon, and my eyes fall on the pack of Budweiser's. Time to put those bar scenes in movies to the test.

I grab a beer out of the pack and smash it over the thickset man's head, squeezing my eyes shut as the glass shatters. He falls to the ground, grasping his head as he lets out streams of unintelligible curses. I exhale shakily, dropping the broken glass bottle.

I've never had an experience like this before. Sure, I've beat up a few guys in elementary school, but this is different. Some of these men, especially the gorilla, are going to have to go to the hospital. A slow grin spreads across my face. Good.

I lean over and pull a fresh bottle of beer out of the pack, popping off the cap with my thumb. Just as I tilt my head back to take a sip, headlights suddenly fly around the corner, throwing the parking lot into light.

The car speeds toward us, showing no signs of stopping. I glance down at the men, wondering if I should pull them out of the way, but my own scoff answers that for me. I dive out of the way, but the silver car unexpectedly fishtails around, skidding to a stop just a few feet from me.

The driver's side door flies open and a lean man hops out, his bronze hair glittering in the headlights. My mouth drops open as Edward Cullen circles his Volvo, heading straight for me. He stops beside me, arm out in a protective stance, but one glance at the scene before him tells him everything he needs to know.

Edward looks back at me, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. I shrug, tilting my head back to try and drink again. I don't get a chance to, however, because Mr. I'mSoProper decides to yank the bottle out of my hand and throw it to the ground.

"Hey!" I protest. "That was a perfectly good bottle!"

Edward yanks the passenger side door open. "Get in."

"Uh, no," I take a step back, accidentally stepping on the thickset man's face. I mumble a quick apology to him before I turn back to Edward. "You're a creep. How did you know where I live?"

He sighs exasperatedly, as though every word I say takes a year off his life. "I'll explain later. Just… can you please get in?"

I open my mouth to refuse, but a sudden groan tells me that the men are starting to get up. Nodding quickly at Edward, I get into the Volvo. I'd take a somewhat scrawny (well, compared to Emmett) 17 year old boy over four men in their 20s any day.

Edward's in the driver's seat before I have a chance to think. The engine roars to life and he pulls out of the parking lot with considerable speed. I glance over at his side profile and I'm somewhat pleased with what I find. I have to hand it to him; Edward's hot. Hotter than Mike. Probably the hottest guy in school, like Angela had been so kind to point out in the dress store. I sneak another peek and let out what I hope is a low whistle; dang them cheekbones. Then, I see how his jaw is clenched – he's pissed. "You okay, bud? You look like you're going to rip someone's head off."

"That's because I almost did," he says curtly, looking grim. I raise my eyebrows; we got a badass over here.

"That's, uh, nice," I reply, not knowing what to say. Edward takes in a shaky breath.

"Distract me, Jessica."

"What?" I blink, unable to stop the dirty images my mind is conjuring. The car swerves suddenly, and I glance over at Edward questioningly.

"Just – just prattle on about something unimportant until I calm down," he clarifies, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

My eyebrows shoot for my hairline. "Excuse me? I do not prattle."

The corners of his mouth start twitching. "Yes, actually, you do."

I make a face. "Do not."

Edward glances sideways at me, a small smile on his face. I can't help but feel relieved; he was starting to freak me out. I drum my fingers on my leg, waiting for a moment before I speak again. "Do you still want to rip someone's head off?"

Edward shrugs. "A bit."

"You wanna talk about your anger management issues?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. He lets out a heavy sigh.

"You don't know what they were thinking."

"And what, you do?"

Edward stares at me, unmoving. I laugh nervously, running my hand over the back of my neck. "Please. That's impossible."

"Is it?" asks Edward, turning his gaze back to the road. I narrow my eyes, deciding to put this ridiculous claim to the test. I think of a video I once saw of an elephant jumping on a trampoline. Edward scoffs suddenly. "You do know that video was edited, right?"

I look up in horror. Im-possible. Then I contemplate the fact that it was a general statement, not related to my thoughts in any way. Just as I begin to relax, Edward's mouth curves into a smirk. "Elephants can't really jump on trampolines."

"WHAT THE F – " I jump out of my seat and start banging on the door with my fists. "STOP THE CAR!"

Edward pulls over in front of the exact same restaurant I had told Angela I'd meet her. I throw the car door open and start to run for the restaurant with the intention of finding Angela and Bella. 'I have to call 911!' I think, speeding up. 'And the FBI! And the Canadian Mounties!'

"Wait," Edward's voice comes from right behind me. "Just hear me out."

"Nu-uh!" I whirl around, pointing an accusing finger at him. "That is some freaky shit!"

"I know," he says apologetically. "Let me explain. Just don't tell them yet."

I glare at him. "You heard that too?"

"I heard everything," says Edward carefully, the hint of a smirk on his lips. My eyes widen, and I feel my face turning red.

"Everything?"

He nods, fully smirking now. "Everything."

'Dammit,' I think, gritting my teeth. 'Blackmail material.'

"Fine," I look back up at Edward, raising my chin authoritatively. "But you, sir, have a lot of explaining to do."

"Why don't I explain while we eat?" Edward suggests, gesturing toward the restaurant.

"I'm not hungry."

'I'm really hungry,' I think, trying desperately to ignore the grumbling in my stomach.

"I can hear you, Jessica."

I groan. "Fine."

* * *

Sorry about the wait, guys! My apologies *holds hands up in surrender*

Thanks to Vanessa Viking, Winnie, livelaughread313, The-Twilight-Of-Your-Life, toolazytosigninforreviewharh ar (lmfao), lolipopasha, Cookiedow, Guest, Edrose, DialMe, TheyHaveScales, MoonlightMagic7, Narutoske, Sarah, carmen caelorum, FreeBird96, Charlotte and hdcj8811 for their amazing reviews! And for sticking to this story :)


	7. Apologies

…

So…

Hey kids…

Hehe…

Yeah. I know I haven't been updating, but I come bearing gifts! Twelve of them, in fact. Because I've been hung up with schoolwork, I haven't been able to update at all. But for the twelve days leading up to Christmas – starting on December 21st – there will be an update… every day! By that time I will officially have no life so I'll hopefully be able to get pretty far into this story by January 1st. Thank you all for sticking with this story, and I'll see you on the 21st!


	8. Chapter 8

Happy December 21st!

* * *

I try to keep my thoughts neutral as we walk up to the entrance of the restaurant, but the stupid half-smirk on Edward's face isn't helping. To make matters worse, the door opens to reveal Angela and my best friend Bella, who are apparently on their way out.

Angela looks up and stops in her tracks. Her eyes widen slightly as they fall on Edward, but she recovers quickly. To my satisfaction, the same can't be said for Bella. Her mouth stays open long enough for smoke from the muffler of a passing car to waft right in. I try not to laugh as she sputters on the haze before trying to maintain a passive expression. Angela bounds down the stairs before stopping in front of me, a slight wince on her face. "Oh my gosh, Jess, I'm so sorry. We got hungry and ate without you."

"That's alright, don't worry about it," I reply, waving my hand airily. Angela's eyes flit toward Edward before stopping on mine again. Mine narrow as I catch the ghost of a smirk on her lips.

"Where were you?" Angela asks innocently. I swear I see Bella's ears perk up as she invites herself to listen in on the conversation.

"I got lost," I say simply, pursing my lips. Angela looks pointedly at Edward with raised eyebrows before turning back to me, a full-blown smirk now on her face. I sigh. "And I ran into Edward."

Edward, satisfied with the awkwardness I'd been put through, decides to step in. "Would it be alright if I borrowed Jessica for the evening?" I feel the corners of my mouth twitch as I think of the dirty connotation that could be put on that statement, but I suddenly remember that Edward can somehow read minds. 'SHIT!' I think. 'Ponies. Unicorns. Rhinoceroses.'

"I think she should get something to eat," Edward continues, without missing a beat. "I'll drive her home."

"Sure!" Angela grabs Bella's hand in the blink of an eye and begins to tug her toward the car. She winks discreetly at me before fishing her car keys out of her pocket. "See ya, Jess! Have fun!"

"See ya, Ange," I mutter, shooting dagger eyes at the back of her head. The feeling of impending doom grips at my stomach as I watch my last escape route drive away into the night. Edward chuckles under his breath, undoubtedly listening in on my thoughts, and I wonder if it's the laugh of a serial killer.

Edward glances down at me. "No, it wasn't. I could try one, though, if you'd like."

"NO." I say loudly, attracting the attention of a few people coming out of the restaurant. Edward laughs again before walking to the door of the restaurant. He holds it open, waiting expectantly. I hesitate for a moment before walking past him into the restaurant with a resigned sigh. There's no getting out of it now.

The host is female, and the predatory look in her eyes as she assesses Edward scares me a bit. She welcomes him a little more warmly than necessary, and I'm surprised by how much that annoys me. I mean, it isn't like Edward is Mike and this slu – _waitress_ – is Bella. I look her over with pursed lips; several inches taller than me, a hell of a lot thinner and bottle-blonde. I glance up to see if Edward has a positive reaction to her appearance, and I flinch slightly when I see him smirking at me. Right. He can hear my thoughts.

"A table for two?" Edward asks politely. I roll my eyes at his alluring tone, and the hostess practically swoons. She leads us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor. I'm somewhat content with this; I like eating in noisy areas. However, just as I'm about to sit, Edward shakes his head at me.

"Perhaps something more private?" he asks the hostess. My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as I see him pull a crisp bill out of his pocket and slide it toward her. Did he just bribe the hostess? I didn't think he had the balls to do that. I raise my eyebrows approvingly, and I see the corners of his mouth quirk up.

'Stop that!' I think, throwing him a pointed glare. He raises his eyebrows innocently at me as the hostess leads us around a partition to a small ring of booths – all of them empty.

"How's this?" she asks, batting her eyelashes Bella-style.

"Perfect." Edward flashes a gleaming smile in her direction, dazing her momentarily. I roll my eyes again; this is ridiculous. Sure, he's attractive, but that doesn't call for an orgasm every five seconds. I hear Edward clear his throat slightly, and a slow smile spreads across my face. 'That's what you get for invading my thoughts.'

"Your server will be right out," The hostess shakes her head slightly, blinking a few times before walking away unsteadily. I reach out and slap Edward as soon as she disappears around the corner. He turns to me, shocked, and I pull out my index finger.

"Don't you dare give me the innocent look. Stop. Listening. To. My. Thoughts."

Edward smirks. "I can't."

Before I have a chance to retort, the server arrives, her face expectant. The hostess definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl doesn't look disappointed. She flips a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiles with unnecessary warmth. "Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?"

Amber. I scowl. I don't like her already, especially seeing as she's only addressing Edward. He looks at me, waiting for a response. I raise my eyebrows. 'She obviously doesn't care what I want.'

He rolls his eyes, smiling slightly. "Two Cokes."

"I'll be right back with that," she assures him, touching his forearm lightly. I give her the stink-eye as she saunters away.

"I'll be right back with that," I repeat in a muttered mocking voice. I look up to find Edward watching me, and I blink. "What?"

His eyes stay fixed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I reply automatically. "A little ignored, but fine."

Edward laughs a little, but I notice that it doesn't reach his eyes. "You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold…?"

"Would you rather I did?"

He chuckles at my puzzled tone. "Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." His face twists up into that stupid mega-watt smile, and I have to resist the urge to stuff a napkin into his face.

"I hate to disappoint, but I don't think you'll be getting any more of _that_ show," I retort. "So you can read minds. Big whoop."

Edward watches me for a few moments, a small smile on his lips. It doesn't take more than ten seconds for me to crack. "Okay, I lied. That's really, really weird. Like, The Twilight Zone weird. How – how?"

Just as he opens his mouth to reply, Amber appears with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stands with her back to me as she places them on the table, and I have to reach across the table to grab a breadstick.

"Are you ready to order?" she asks Edward. I nearly flip over the table in irritation; he doesn't even eat! He glances up at me and notices that I'm fuming with rage.

"Um, Jessica?" Edward gestures to me, forcing the waitress to turn to face me. I smile up at her without any sign of friendliness.

"Hi," I say, waving slightly to remind her that I exist. I glance down at the menu, scanning it briefly. "I'll have the triple cheese lasagna, heavy on the cheese."

Amber glances down at me, undoubtedly judging whether or not I should be ordering something so fatty. I raise an eyebrow in response, daring her to comment. She clears her throat slightly, turning back to Edward with a smile. "And you?"

"Nothing for me," he says. Of course not. Gotta keep up the lithe figure.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile is still in place, and I finally crack when Amber doesn't leave.

"Okay. We get it. He's hot," I snap. "Now scram, you vulture."

Amber's mouth drops open, and she lets out a scandalized noise before she stalks back toward the kitchen. Edward's chuckling under his breath. "You should watch out. She's going to poison your food."

"I'll make her eat it first, just to make sure," I reply. "So, you were saying?"

I grab my coke off the table and take a sip, waiting for him to continue. I shiver as the freezing cold Coke runs through my esophagus.

"Are you cold?" he asks. His tone hints at concern, but I know better.

"It's just the Coke," I say, holding back another shiver.

"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice is disapproving.

"Yes, mother," I reply, rolling my eyes. I turn to the bench next to me to find that it's empty. "Oh – I left it in Angela's car."

I look up to find Edward shrugging out of his jacket. I suddenly realize that I hadn't had a chance to break down his outfit today – seeing as I was too busy guarding my thoughts. He was removing a light beige leather jacket (Burberry, $1,250); underneath he wore an ivory turtleneck sweater (Ralph Lauren, $398). Someone's rolling in it. The sweater fits him snugly, as it should, emphasizing how muscular his chest is. He hands me the jacket, interrupting my blatant and shameless ogling.

I let out a gasp, bringing a hand to my heart. "For me? Oh, you shouldn't have!"

He rolls his eyes, pushing it toward me. "Just take it."

I grin as I slide my arms into his jacket. The sleeves are much too long, and I have to shove them back so I can free my hands. I catch a whiff of what smells like cologne – and I can't help but wonder what kind it is.

"I don't wear cologne," Edward says quietly, and I throw him a look. He shrugs, the small smile returning to his face. He pushes the bread basket toward me, and I give him another look.

"Really? I don't think you should be encouraging that. It's going to be all gone by the time the lasagna comes."

"Good."

Shrugging, I grab another breadstick. "So, you going to explain or no?"

"Well, if you don't mind," Edward's smile widens. "I'd like to hear a few more theories."

"Nu-uh. I don't think so," I say, slamming my breadstick down onto the table. "I have a few questions for you, mister."

"Of course," Edward leans back in his chair. "As long as you tell me these theories on the drive back to Forks."

"Deal," I reply. Amber returns with our food, and this time she sets it down and disappears without a word. I prod at it with my fork before taking a tentative bite, wary of the poison that could be embedded between the cheese layers.

Edward waits for me to finish chewing before he speaks again. "So, these questions?"

"Right!" I say, putting my fork down. I decide to start with the most undemanding. "Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looks down, folding his hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flicker up at me from under his lashes (I swear he's wearing mascara), smirking. "Next."

"What? You can't just – "

"Next," he repeats. I raise my eyebrows, irritated. I take another bite of my lasagna and chew slowly before speaking again, this time with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"Let's say, hypothetically, of course, that someone could read minds. How does that work? What are the limitations? How would… that someone… find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know she was in trouble?" I frown to myself. Did that even make sense? Oh well, he can work it out.

"Hypothetically?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"Sure."

"Well, if… that someone…"

"Let's call him 'Eduardo'," I suggest, my lips quivering as I try not to laugh.

Edward's trying not to laugh as well. "Eduardo, then. If Eduardo had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You just devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"We're speaking of a hypothetical case," I remind him frostily.

He laughs openly at me. "Yes, we are. Shall we call you 'Justine'?"

"Ew, no," I say, scrunching my nose. "Jennifer."

Edward laughs again, but I can tell that he isn't willing to speak any more. Unable to curb my curiosity, I lean across the table, my hands landing on either side of his. "How? How can you do it?"

I realize that he seems to be wavering, torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes lock with mine, and I guess that he's making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell me the truth.

"You can trust me, you know," I say, surprised by how genuine I sound. And for the first time, I realize that I'm telling the complete truth. No expose, no spilling secrets to Angela. If this is something he's so keen on keeping under the covers, then I'm not going to spoil it for him.

One look at his face told me that he heard my thoughts. "I was wrong – you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."

I frown. "Gee, thanks."

"I don't mean that as an insult," Edward clarifies. "I was wrong about you on one other thing as well."

"And what's that?"

"You're a magnet for trouble, Jessica. If there's anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it finds you no matter what."

"Let me guess," I say, taking another bite of lasagna. "You put yourself into this category?"

His face turns stone-cold. "Yes."

I let out a sigh. I've heard the speech before; he thinks he's a bad guy. I reach out suddenly and place my hand over his before he has a chance to pull back like I know he will. His skin is freezing cold, as though it was just in ice, but I don't dwell on this for too long. I have something unpleasant to spit out. "Thank you."

He raises his eyebrows at me, and I continue. "For saving my ass from Tyler's car. And for the drive away from those bastards, because let's be honest, I handled myself quite well before you showed up. But that's twice now."

His face softens. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

I roll my eyes, but I nod. He moves his hand out from under mine, placing both of his under the table before leaning toward me.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admits, speaking in a rush. My eyes widen slightly, even though I know this already.

"And my house?"

"I didn't need to follow you for that," Edward says. "It's a small town."

"Not that small," I say, raising my eyebrows. "Just letting you know, I still have that rape whistle, along with pepper spray. And I have an AK-47 in my shed."

Edward's eyebrows shoot for his hairline. "Really?"

"No. I wish."

Edward laughs quietly, looking down at his hands. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed."

"But that's probably because it's me, am I right?" I say, my anger flaring again. "After all, _ordinary_ people seem to make it through the day without any catastrophes."

He glances up at me, smiling again. "You have quite a temper."

"So I've been told."

Edward lets out a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "So, let's say I explain everything to you. How do I know what I tell you won't terrify you to death?"

"Trust me," I say, taking a swig of my Coke. "It's going to take a lot more than a mind-reading 17 year old to scare me."

The look Edward gives me right then actually does scare me a bit. I finish off my lasagna in silence, not knowing what to say. As soon as I put my fork down, he looks up to meet my eyes. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Mhm," I reply, not meeting his eyes. Amber appears as if she's been called. Or watching.

"How are we doing?" she asks Edward. I roll my eyes; I'm already over it.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice is quiet, as though he's still deep in thought. This seems to muddle the waitress.

"S-sure," she stutters. She pulls a small leather folder from her apron and hands it to him. "Here you go."

There's a bill in his hand already, which he slips into the folder and hands right back to her. "No change," he says, his smile not reaching his eyes. He stood up suddenly, and I follow suit.

Amber smiles invitingly at him one last time. "You have yourself a nice evening."

"You too," I reply sassily as we head for the door, and I swear I see the hint of a smile on Edward's lips. Once we're outside, Edward opens the passenger door, holding it open for me.

When I'm in, I watch him walk around the front of the car, amazed by how graceful he is. He'd make a good ballet dancer. Maybe I should sign him up for a couple classes. He gets into the car, starts the engine and turns the heater on high.

Though I'd never admit it, because it sounds ridiculously needy, I'm glad that I have a jacket. I would probably freeze my butt off (literally) if I didn't – which makes me wonder why Edward's butt is still firmly attached to his body.

"Aren't you cold?" I ask as he turns the key in the ignition.

"I don't think so. It's my turn to ask the questions now."

"Wait, that's not fair!" I protest. "I have another question!"

Edward doesn't reply as he pulls out onto the road. He drives in silence until we reach the main road, at which point he begins to speed up. I grip onto my seat as he races down the quiet street. He doesn't seem to be paying any attention to the road, which worries me just a bit. He sighs. "One."

"How did you pinpoint me?" I ask, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "There's no way you'd be able to track down all those thoughts to find me."

Edward looks away, deliberating. I sigh heavily, pursing my lips.

"So, are you just going to keep ignoring my questions, or…"

I catch the barest hint of a smile on his face. "You're quite impatient."

"Just answer the question."

"Fine, then. I followed your scent." He looks at the road, giving me time to compose my face. My jaw drops, and I don't even bother to hide my shock when he looks back at me.

"Scent?" I repeat, my eyes bulging out of their sockets. "You sniffed me out?"

Edward looks at me with disapproval. "Well, when you put it bluntly…"

"How else do you put it?" I mutter, turning my gaze to the road ahead. The more I think about the fact that Edward sniffed me out, the more I begin to visualize it. Before I can stop my thoughts, my lips are quivering uncontrollably. I peek sideways at Edward, who's now full-out glaring at me.

"I was not 'sniffing', to be clear," he says haughtily. I let out a snort of laughter before bringing my hand up to cover my mouth. As much as I try, my mind refuses to stop producing hilarious images. By the time my mind conjures an image of Edward as the dog from Up, tears are streaming down my face.

Edward doesn't look too happy as I resurface, but I'm in too much pain to care. I grip my stomach, wishing for the first time that I hadn't eaten as much as I did. He glances over at me as I bend over, looking somewhat concerned. "You aren't going to die, are you?"

"No promises," I choke out, not laughing any more. After a few deep breaths, I straighten again, wiping the tears from my face. "Okay. I'm good. So, does this sni – I mean, scent thing, have anything to do with you being able to lift a car?"

Edward shrugs. "I guess you could say that. And I thought it was my turn after that last question?"

"Wait! You didn't answer one of my first questions."

He throws me a glare. "Which one?"

"How does it work – the mind-reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind,  
anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family... ?"

"That's more than one," he points out. I make a face before folding my arms across my chest, waiting.

"No, it's just me. And I can't hear anyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar someone's... 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. But still, no more than a few miles." He pauses thoughtfully. "It's a little like being in a huge hall filled with people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum - a buzzing of voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice, and then what they're thinking is clear. Most of the time I tune it all out - it can be very distracting. And then it's easier to  
seem normal - " He frowns as he says the word. " - when I'm not accidentally answering someone's thoughts rather than their words."

"Wow," I say, gazing at him in awe. He glances at me, eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"I think this is the most civil conversation we've ever had."

Edward lets out a low chuckle. "Are you trying to avoid outwardly calling me a freak?"

"Stop being a drama queen," I say, rolling my eyes. "You aren't a freak. There's probably a person like you somewhere on Earth."

"That's true," says Edward, shrugging slightly. He turns his attention back to the road, which is when I happen to notice the speedometer.

"HOLY SHIT!" I shout, gripping my seat again. "Slow down!"

"What's wrong?" Edward looks at me, startled. But the car doesn't decelerate.

"You're going over a hundred miles an hour!" I say, shooting a panicky glance out the window. "You're going to hit a deer or something!"

"Relax, Jess." He rolls his eyes, still not slowing.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" I demand, my eyes widening.

"We're not going to crash."

"Yes, actually, we are!" I retort, wrapping my hands around my knees in case I need to assume fetal position. "Are you trying to scare the shit out of me? Cause it's working!"

"I always drive like this." He turns to smile crookedly at me, but I'm too busy chewing out the inside of my cheek.

"Keep your eyes on the road, you psychopath!"

"I've never been in an accident, Jessica – I've never even gotten a ticket." He grins and taps his forehead. "Built-in radar detector."

"There's a first for everything," I reply, peering out the window. "Besides, if you flip your stupid shiny car over into a ditch, you'd probably be able to just walk away."

"Probably," he agrees with a short, hard laugh. "But you can't." I exhale with relief as the needle gradually drifts toward eighty.

"Happy?"

"Nope." I reply, folding my arms across my chest.

"I hate driving slow," he mutters.

"Well, suck it up, big boy. This isn't slow, this is legal."

"Enough commentary on my driving," he snaps. "I'm still waiting for your latest theory."

I fall silent, pressing my lips together. He looks over at me, eyebrows raised innocently.

"I won't laugh."

"Liar," I say automatically, scoffing under my breath.

He takes a hand off the steering wheel and places it across his heart, ignoring my yelp of protest. "Scout's honor."

I watch him for a moment before turning away. "No. I changed my mind."

The look Edward threw me would've terrified Chuck Norris. "You can't do that."

"Yeah? Well I just decided to," I reply, facing forward.

"Jessica."

"Yeah?"

"Please?" He looks over at me through his thick eyelashes, widening his honey eyes. I survey his expression with narrowed eyes. I can see why it would work on the girls; it's the perfect mix of innocence and naivety. So this is how he gets everything he wants.

"No," I enunciate, raising an eyebrow challengingly. He sighs dejectedly, turning back to the road. I lean back against the seat and think about the theories I had been thinking of – genetic engineering, some sort of family-line disorder… but the one plaguing me has nothing to do with genes or chemicals. The cover of that book I saw in the library swims in my mind, its words shining clearly. I'd heard the wolves many times before, only ever at night, and they always came in packs. Specific numbers, as well. So specific, in fact, that I had seen the same number of teenage boys hanging around in cult-like groups in the Quileute part of town. Now that I think about it, the possibility of werewolves in Forks wasn't that ridiculous. But that means that these 'Cold Ones' are also possible. And from the description…

Edward inhales sharply, and I jump. I completely forgot that he's sitting right next to me… and that he can read minds. He looks over at me, his expression hard. "Keep going."

I frown, not sure of what he's talking about. Does he mean that he wants me to keep thinking about the Cold Ones? But that's ridiculous, these legends are ancient. The Cold Ones would've died out even if they were real. Unless, of course, they were immortal. And even then, the mere idea of that is preposterous. If that was true, then Edward would be, what, a few hundred years old?

The car swerves suddenly, and I jump in my seat again. "For Pete's sake, what're you doing?"

Edward's grip tightens on the steering wheel. "You're on the right track."

I lean forward involuntarily, lowering my voice. "_The Cold Ones_? But that's – that's absurd. How would that even – "

I stop in my tracks. My mind begins to whir as I piece together the information. _The Cold Ones have many names, including blood drinkers and pale faces, but they are more commonly known as vampires._ "You – "

Edward's gaze is fixated on the road ahead. "Yes."

"No," I manage to spit out, my jaw dropping for what feels like the hundredth time that day. "That – that's impossible."

"Think about it, Jessica," Edward snaps, turning to face me. I flinch back as I catch a glimpse of his most venomous expression for the first time. "The car. My ability to find you tonight. The temperature of my skin. The fact that I _don't eat_."

My heart is now beating at a rapid pace, faster than I ever thought possible. "You're a vampire."

Edward exhales with relief. "Yes."

That's all it takes for me to go into full-out hyperventilation mode. I can feel my face heating up, and I swear that my airway is closing up. A vampire. Vampires drink blood to stay alive. Human blood. Which means that Edward has killed people before.

Edward looks over at me in shock, and I know he's heard my thoughts. "Wait, Jess – "

I look up to find that we're now in Forks, only a minute away from my house. "Edward – stop the car."

"What?" Edward glances over at me like I asked him to do the hokey pokey.

"STOP THE CAR!" I scream, kicking at the door like a maniac. He pulls over to a side, turning to me concernedly. Before he can say a single word, I unlock the door and jump out, thankfully landing on my feet.

"Jessica, wait – "

But I don't wait long enough to hear the rest of what he has to say. I turn on my heel and take off toward my house, my elementary-school track training finally kicking in. I fumble around in my jean pocket for my keys as I approach my house, and I manage to let myself in despite my shaking fingers. I double-lock the door and slump against it when I'm done, breathing heavily.

"MOM!" I scream once I've caught my breath, feeling the veins pop in my neck. "DO YOU HAVE ANY GARLIC?"

* * *

Super-long chapter, right? I don't think the others will be quite this long, but this one was for all of you who waited for so long.

HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome. Especially to the patient ones – it's such a relief that there's people out there who know that I have a life outside of Fanfiction :)


	9. Chapter 9

The resounding silence tells me that my mother has chosen the worst day possible to stay late at work. I nearly choke to death in those few seconds because I forget that I'm holding my breath, and I have to bend over as I gulp for air again. 'Did I actually just forget to breathe?' I think, gripping at my stomach. 'I should really stop spending so much time around Bella. She's a bad influence.'

Then it hits me. My mother isn't home. Edward could waltz right into my house and drain every last drop of my B positive blood. Hell, his whole family could come over to share – including Jasper. I shudder before dashing for my kitchen, looking straight ahead to avoid making figures out of the dark shadows in the hallway. I scramble around in the cutlery drawer before pulling out the biggest butcher's knife I can find. I clutch at it as though my life depends on it as I edge over to my laptop, which is sitting on the breakfast table.

I set the knife down beside my laptop and pull it open. I glance warily behind my back as I open Chrome (never Explorer, even in emergencies); for all I know, Edward could already be in my house. The familiar search engine pops up, and my fingers hover over the keyboard as I think about what to type.

How to kill a vampire

I laugh at myself as the engine searches its database for my ridiculous suggestion. Who am I kidding? I'm no Buffy. But the rational part of my mind tells me that it's good to be in the know. I scan the results while opening a new document to type the suggestions given. When I look back at the list I've made, I have the urge to smack my head on the screen.

The typical and somewhat plausible options include garlic, holy water and a wooden stake. I hop out of my chair, knife in hand, and I grab a bulb of garlic from the herb cabinet. I pull a wooden spoon out of one of the drawers and break it in half over my knee, creating two sharp sticks. I pause when it comes to holy water – unfortunately, my mother doesn't store holy water in the fridge.

"Improvise," I mutter, grabbing a glass. I fill it up with tap water and run up to my bedroom, trying not to spill too much. I grab a bracelet off my table and hold it up to my eyes. As I remembered, there's a small gold cross hanging from the chain. I drop it in the glass of water, nodding in satisfaction. "Holy enough."

I run back downstairs and place my stash beside the laptop. I rub a clove of garlic on my wrists and neck for good measure as I look back at the list. I drop the clove down my shirt when I see the next options on the list. Burning the vampire's body, chopping his head off and ripping his heart out are among the many vicious suggestions, and I feel my lasagna requesting another appearance as I think about it. 'I don't want to kill him…' I think, slumping back in my chair. "Just partially mutilate. So he can't eat me.'

The next suggestion, however, nearly makes me jump out of my chair. I run a finger under the words, gaping in awe. "Sunlight is known to burn vampires."

And suddenly, everything clicks. That's why the Cullens live in a town as sunlight-deprived as Forks. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Carlisle and Esme always pull the Cullens away for 'hiking trips' on sunny days - hiking trips, my ass. I scrunch my nose in disgust. For all I know, they could be picking off hikers to feast on for dinner.

"Okay," I say out loud, slamming my laptop shut. I survey my weapons in satisfaction, letting my eyes skim past the makeshift holy water. It's good enough for one night, and I'll make some more for school tomorrow. I've got this.

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal pulls me out of my thoughts. I let out a shriek and grab at my knife before I realize that the bloodcurdling screech is the house phone. Dropping the knife, I run over to the counter and pull the phone out of its cradle. I hesitate before bringing it up to my ear – my hand is shaking so badly that the phone knocks repeatedly against my head.

"Hey, you home?"

I let out a sigh of relief. "Angela. Yeah, I just got home."

"Soo… what's up?" Angela's voice is teasing, and I know she's expecting me to recount stories of how Edward and I shared spaghetti like the Lady and the Tramp. If only she knew. But I know that I can't tell her anything; I can't risk putting her in danger. So I put on my bravest voice, making the face to match it even though I know Angela can't see it.

"Jessica Stanley is a fucking trooper, that's what's up," I blurt before slamming the phone back into its cradle.

* * *

I walk to lunch the next day from Trig with a backpack full of garlic, broken wooden spoons and a water bottle containing my makeshift holy water. The weapons are jiggling around in my bag, making a lot of excessive noise, but I ignore the strange looks I get from other students. 'I hope the Cullens feast on all of you,' I think as a particularly unsubtle sophomore stares me down from across the hall.

I exhale with relief when I walk into the cafeteria and see that the Cullens aren't dominating their usual table. Angela and Bella are already at our table, and I catch Bella staring longingly at the Cullens' table. A part of me wants to warn her for her own good, but I convince myself that she's better off not knowing. And it's hilarious.

I slide into my seat at the table, catching Angela's attention. She shoots me a concerned look. "You okay? You don't look so good."

I'm well aware that I look like a drowned donkey. I barely got any sleep the night before because I was afraid that when I opened my eyes I was going to find Edward standing over me with a straw. And for the first time in my life, I couldn't eat breakfast. My stomach is a mess, and I've already decided that I'm going to skip English.

"I'm fine," I say anyways, flipping my hair over my shoulder. Bella's attention has finally been diverted from the Cullens' table, and she's now staring right at me. When I look back at her, however, she flinches and pretends that she was looking past me. Angela throws me another look, this time skeptical, but I raise my eyebrows innocently. "I swear, I'm fine!"

"Then why aren't you devouring your lunch?" asks Angela, cocking an eyebrow. I look down at my backpack and realize that I forgot to pack a lunch. I smack a hand to my forehead. How could I have forgotten food twice in one day? Angela grimaces sympathetically at me. "Forgot?"

"Yeah," I groan. I dig into my backpack for my wallet, taking care not to open it enough so that the stakes are visible. "I'll just go buy some."

"It's Tuna Tuesday," says Angela, trying to hide a grin. "Good luck."

As I get up, I see Bella's eyes widen as though Jesus Christ has materialized at the neighboring table. Deciding that it was another one of her 'quirks', I ignore it and turn around to walk over to the café.

"Oomph!" I slam into something rock-solid, and I swear my nose has been inverted. When I pull away, I realize what – or who – I've walked into. "Oh."

"Jessica," Edward manages a tight-lipped smile, and I can't help but look for fangs. His eyes go cold, and I remember – once again – that he can read minds. Fabulous.

"Edward," I reply coldly, taking a step back. I sit back down in my seat, having lost my appetite once again. I can't help but feel a wave of anger towards him. I take my appetite very seriously.

"Would you mind coming for a walk with me?"

I look up at Edward, summoning all of the incredulity I can muster into one expression. "Yes, I would, actually."

A sudden sniffing noise makes me turn around. Angela's nose is wrinkled, and she's looking at me like my nose really did invert. "Is that… garlic?"

"No," I say quickly. SHIT! Maybe I had gone a little overboard with the garlic. I keep my eyes fixated on Angela, willing myself not to look at Edward. "Well, probably. Italian for dinner last night."

"Huh," Angela shrugs. She looks pointedly at Edward, and then back at me. I shake my head at her, flashing dagger eyes.

'Don't even think about it,' I think, sending thought waves in Angela's direction. She raises her eyebrows at me.

'He obviously wants to talk to you.'

I sharpen my glare. 'Well, I don't want to talk to him.'

"Jessica would **love** to go for a walk with you," says Angela quickly, practically shoving me off my chair. "Right, Jess?"

"No – " But before I can finish my sentence, I feel a vice-like grip on my forearm. I freeze, my other hand barely brushing the zipper of my backpack. I could stretch a bit and grab a stake, but the last thing I want is to stab Edward in front of half the school.

"She'll be back in time for gym," says Edward reassuringly to Angela, though I think it's more to reassure me. He turns to me, that same tight-lipped smile on his face. "Ready?"

'No,' I think, looking right into his eyes. 'What the hell are you doing?'

"Great," says Edward absentmindedly, leading me away from the table. I look back pleadingly at Angela, who waves back at me and grins like she's just given me the key to a new Lamborghini. I feel the sudden urge to cry.

"I didn't think girls could actually communicate through thoughts until today," Edward says conversationally as he holds the cafeteria doors open for me. "That was quite something."

"Cut the crap, Cullen," I growl, trying to sound as intimidating as I can. "What are you trying to pull here?"

"I just want to explain," he replies, pulling me toward the parking lot. I skid to a stop when he tries to continue walking past the lot and into the woods.

"In the woods?" I ask incredulously. He looks at the woods, back at me, and then sighs.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Jess," he says, using that stupid patronizing voice of his. I jerk my arm away, scowling at him.

"Don't you Jess me," I snap. "Is this how you lured your dinner last night?"

The look on his face would probably turn other girls into slush. "Jessica – "

"No," I cut him off, holding a hand up in front of his face. "I'm not going to sit here playing the damsel in distress and tell you that it doesn't matter than you're a cold-blooded killer."

"I'M NOT A KILLER!"

My mouth drops open. It's the first time I've ever heard Edward's voice raise over a bare whisper, and it's terrifying. His eyes have gone black despite their usual light gold, and I swear he's baring his teeth. I look around to find Tyler Crowley standing by his rental car, staring at Edward with an expression that perfectly describes my thoughts.

Edward recovers pretty quickly, running a hand over his face. He looks over at Tyler and flashes him a mega-watt smile, as though reassuring him that everything is okay. Tyler seems to accept this as he walks into the school, shaking his head slightly.

It's only when Tyler disappears that I realize what Edward had shouted. "What do you mean? If you're a vampire, you have to drink blood to survive."

Edward sighed heavily, avoiding my eyes as he spoke. "We – my family and I – don't hunt humans. We don't drink human blood."

I feel my eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "Then how do you survive?"

He looks up at me, his expression cautious. "We… we drink animal blood."

My heart stops. Memories of the years I spent working at animal shelters replay in my mind, and the more I think about it, the worse it seems. I try to regain some sort of composure, but it's impossible. I open my mouth and a scandalized shriek slips out. "WHAT?"

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you guys are liking this story :)


	10. Chapter 10

Tyler Crowley pokes his head back out of the school door at the sound of my shriek, and unfortunately for him, my rage hasn't subsided yet. "BEAT IT, CROWLEY!"

He disappears almost as quickly as he appeared, and I turn on Edward as soon as the door slams shut. "I'm sorry, come again? Silly me, I thought I heard you say that you feed on **animal blood**. But of course you wouldn't do that, because that's vicious and cruel and – "

"Jessica – "

" – You know, because they wouldn't even be able to defend themselves – "

"Jess – "

"Don't you 'Jess' me," I snarl, jabbing a finger into his chest. I can't help but feel a bit satisfied as he takes a small step back. "Do you think that feeding off of animals makes you any better of a person? It's just as bad – no, scratch that. It's worse."

"Humans hunt animals," says Edward, and I'm surprised to find a slightly defensive tone to his voice. "And they eat them too."

"I'm a vegetarian," I reply coldly, folding my arms across my chest. My eyes narrow as I sense what looks suspiciously like guilt in his expression. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

"I wasn't referring to you," he says, dodging the question. "Humans in general. What makes this any different?"

"It isn't any different," I snap, revealing my inner PETA representative. "But that doesn't mean it isn't wrong. It doesn't make you any less of a – "

I pause, swallowing back the word I was about to carelessly spit out. Edward's face falls even further, and in that split second, I feel like shit for even thinking it. "You can say it," he says dejectedly, looking down at the pavement. "A monster."

I cough uncomfortably, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket. "So, exactly which animals do you, uh, drink?"

Edward looks at me, as though asking if I really want to know. 'I'd feel better knowing that you don't prey on your neighbor's pets,' I think, directing my thoughts at him.

"No, we need to feed on bigger animals," he says. "Bears are Emmett's favorite – grizzlies, in particular."

"Hmm," I say, nodding conversationally. "What's your favorite?"

He raises an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turn down in disapproval. "Mountain lion."

"Ah," I try to sound politely disinterested, but it's hard to keep the displeasure out of my voice.

"Of course," he says, his tone mirroring mine, "we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators."

"Huh."

"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season – they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable," Edward smiles at some remembered joke.

"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear," I say, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "How do you hunt an angry bear without weapons?"

"Oh, we have weapons," Edward flashes his bright teeth in a brief, almost threatening smile. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."

Though Emmett's apparent preference of bear blood irks me, he sounds pretty amusing. And though I would never admit it, I would give anything to see the big guy run after bears for dinner. I glance at Edward and wonder what he looks like when he's hunting.

"Like the mountain lion, or so they tell me," he says lightly, replying to my thoughts. "Perhaps our preferences are indicative."

And just like that, I'm curious again. I wonder how they can look so human and yet become so animalistic when hunting. And I wonder if it's something I'll ever get to see.

"NO." Edward's face is even whiter than usual, and his eyes are suddenly furious. I lean back, stunned by his reaction.

"Too scary for a little girl like me?" I ask when I'm sure I can keep my voice even.

"If that were it, I would take you out tonight," he says, his voice cutting. "You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you."

"Jeez, Louise," I reply, holding my hands up in surrender. "Why can't I come along? I won't snatch your food, I promise."

Edward opens his mouth to say something, but he stops in his tracks. He turns around instead, folding his arms across his chest. I'm struck by how much he looks like an overgrown toddler. An overgrown toddler with a very good ass. 'SHIT!' I think, mentally hitting myself over the head with a brick. 'Control yourself, Jess.'

Thankfully, Edward chooses to ignore my last thought. He continues to stare off into the distance, leaving me to paw awkwardly at the ground with my foot until I come up with another question. "Is it enough?"

Edward looks back at me, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "What?"

"The – the animal blood. Is it filling?"

Edward turns around and assumes his thinking face (aka The Thinker). "It doesn't completely satiate the hunger – or rather, thirst. But it keeps us strong enough to resist. Most of the time."

"**Most** of the time?" I repeat, letting out a nervous chuckle. He doesn't look at me, choosing instead to look just past my head.

"Some of us have – difficulty."

I feel my heart sink as I remember the almost pained expression that Jasper always wears. Edward inhales sharply, and I know he heard my thoughts. "Do you have difficulty?"

He finally turns his gaze on me, and I notice that his eyes have gone as black as the witch wig in my Halloween costume. "Sometimes."

My rational alter ego is screaming at me to shut my mouth, but of course, I keep going. "How about now?"

A vein twitches in Edward's temple. "Yes."

I take a step back; that wasn't the answer I was expecting. "What? Why now, and not any other time?"

He sighs. "Why do you think?"

I pause, putting the pieces together. I think I know what he's hinting at, but I hope I'm wrong. "Because of… me?"

"Yes."

I take another step back. "… Why?"

Edward lets out another exasperated sigh. "Your blood, Jessica. I can smell your blood."

My eyebrows furrow together. "But doesn't everyone's blood do the same?"

"Yours is…" he hesitates, trying to come up with the right word. "Potent."

"Thanks?"

"It wasn't a compliment," Edward snaps. I raise an eyebrow and place my hands on my hips.

"Well, then, fuck you."

Edward's face cracks into a small smile. It's barely there, but it's the first time I've seen him smile all day. And it takes about a hundred years off his face. Suddenly, I freeze. I look up slowly at Edward, who's trying to look inconspicuous, but I know he's already heard my thoughts. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answers promptly. I narrow my eyes.

"And how long have you been seventeen?"

He glances fleetingly at me before looking up at the sky, pressing his lips together. "A while."

I open my mouth to prod him further, but I realize that I really don't want to know. I shift my stance, and the weapons in my backpack jingle. Edward's eyes flit back down to me, and I feel myself go red as a slow grin spreads over his face. I quickly come up with a question before he can point out – yet again – that he can read my thoughts. "You say you won't hurt me, right?"

"I'll try my best," he replies sarcastically. I throw a glare in his direction.

"Then tell me. How would I kill a vampire."

He raises his eyebrows. "What?"

"You said you wouldn't hurt me," I say accusingly, poking a finger at him. "I won't have a reason to kill you – don't you scoff at me, I'll do it – if you don't hurt me, so you should feel free to tell me."

I can feel my blood boiling as he smirks. "Why don't you tell me a few of your theories?"

"Not with the theories again," I mutter. "Fine. Garlic?"

"Useless."

I frown. So bathing in garlic was pointless. "Wooden stake?"

He smirks again. "Wouldn't leave a scratch."

"Holy water?"

"About as effective as the garlic."

I throw my hands up in the air. "Burned alive? Head ripped off?"

The smirk on Edward's face falters slightly. "Both fairly effective."

I gape for a few moments before pulling myself together again. "… Oh. That's, uh, good to know."

I can tell by the amused look on Edward's face that he can sense my awkwardness. I scramble for another question, looking up at the sky for an answer. Then it hits me. "Oh! Sunlight?"

Edward looks down at me. "Not quite."

"What d'you mean, not quite?"

He continues to stare at me for a few moments, as though dealing with some sort of internal conflict. I raise my eyebrows, waiting patiently. After a moment, he lets out a heavy sigh. "Do you want to see?"

"Uhm, no thanks," I say, holding my hands up. "I'd rather not see your skin burn off your bones."

He lets out a small chuckle. "It doesn't burn."

My eyes narrow slightly; now I'm interested. He shrugs toward the woods, as though the answer lies between the trees. I know he's asking me to go into the woods with him, but the gesture itself is so creepy that the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Edward rolls his eyes. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here right now."

I shrug. "True. Lead the way."

* * *

About ten minutes later, I'm slumped up against a tree, clutching at my stomach. Edward's standing under the natural spotlight created by the leaves on the trees, and his shirt is unbuttoned so that the light hits his skin. The smooth surface shines like the diamond earrings my dad sent me for my fifteenth birthday. And I cannot stop laughing.

Edward's watching me with an expression that screams 'not impressed'. He buttons the shirt back up with swift fingers and walks over to me. "Are you going to survive, or do I need to call another ambulance?"

I'm laughing so hard that I don't even stop to glare at him for the reference. "Oh my gosh, you sparkle. This couldn't get any better. I won't need any bling for the spring dance as long as you come along."

"You still want to go to the dance with me?" asks Edward incredulously. I pause, realizing what I just said. Do I?

Edward shrugs. "I don't know. Do you?"

"Stop that," I hiss, pushing myself off the tree. I've finally stopped laughing, and my cheeks sting from the bout. When I've pulled it together, I look up at Edward with my business face. "So what're we going to do?"

Edward raises his eyebrows questioningly, and I raise mine right back at him. "About this situation. I know what you and your family are, so you can't just brush me off and continue living your life. I'm surprised you aren't plotting my murder."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you, Jessica."

I press my lips together. "Does your family know I know?"

He sighs. "No. I think they may have clued in by now, though."

"Fan-tastic. If you don't kill me, Jasper will. Can you please just do it quickly?"

"Stop it," Edward snaps, his voice low. I look up at him, surprised. "No one is going to kill you." He pauses, and it's the first time I've seen him so awkward. "I won't let them."

I blink. Well, there's a plot twist if there ever was one. Edward rolls his eyes for what feels like the hundredth time that day, and I resist the urge to poke them out with one of my spoon-stakes. "I was never going to kill you, so you can get that thought out of your head."

"Well, **you** can get out of my head, how's that for a suggestion?" I bark, turning on my heel. I start walking toward the school again, and I hear him close at my heels.

"Trust me. If I could, I would."

I can't help but grin.

By the time we walk out of the woods and into the parking lot, there's only a minute left until third period. Edward insists on walking me to the gym, and since I really don't like walking alone, I don't complain. When we arrive at the doors to the gym, I turn around to face him. "Thanks for walking me to class, I probably would've gotten lost. Or hit by another car."

"Don't play dumb, I know you don't like walking alone," replies Edward airily. I swear under my breath, smiling sheepishly.

"Well, I'd better get to gym," I say, jerking a thumb back at the gym doors. Edward raises his eyebrows and gestures toward the doors, as though telling me to go right ahead. I frown slightly. "Aren't you going to class?"

"Skipping is healthy," says Edward, starting to walk backwards. "Try not to hurt anyone in gym."

"Try not to annoy anyone," I retort as he turns around to continue walking. His cheeks rise, and I know he's smiling. I push the gym doors open, and just before I go in, I turn around. Edward's standing at the end of the hall, looking back at me. I pause for a fraction of a second, frozen to the spot, before disappearing behind the doors.

Shaking my head, I head for the change rooms. Two girls from Trig are already pulling on their running shoes, talking about last night's episode of some B-list soap opera.

"And oh my gosh, at the end, when they looked back at each other from opposite sides of the hall," gushes the first girl, tugging at her pigtails. The other girl jumps up and down, clapping like a seal. I pause in the middle of pulling on my shorts. Looking back at each other from opposite sides of the hall? Sounds familiar.

"They're so in love," replies the seal-girl. The other girl nods enthusiastically.

"Totally."

"No they aren't!" I snap before I can stop myself. The girls look up at me as if I'm sparkling like Edward. I consider taking back what I said, or even trying to explain myself, but I settle for running out of the change room like a madwoman.

* * *

For those of you who don't know, The Thinker is that statue of the muscular guy sitting down and thinking. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome! :)


	11. Chapter 11

It's foggy and dark outside my window the next day, which means that Edward won't have to worry about pulling a Tinkerbell at school. I still can't get over the fact that he sparkles in the sunlight, because it sounds – and looks – absolutely ridiculous, but I know better than to mention it again. I saw the look on his face when I first started laughing.

By the time I get ready and arrive in the kitchen, I realize that my mother's already left for work. Which means that I'm much later than I thought I was. I look around wildly; I can't skip breakfast again. Improvise. I pull a half-full box of Lucky Charms from the cupboard and I pour the milk straight into the box. I manage to grab a spoon before slinging my backpack over my shoulder and racing out the door.

The fog is so thick that I don't see the silver car in my driveway until I'm standing beside my own. I don't recognize the car right away either, and I have a mini panic attack, thinking that someone's come to kidnap me knowing that my mother's not home. It isn't until Edward shoots out of his car and to the passenger side door that I breathe again.

"Is that…" Edward starts, frowning slightly as he glances down at my box of Lucky Charms.

"Yep," I reply, waving my spoon at him before taking a bite. "You should know better than to question it."

He shakes his head, trying and failing miserably at hiding a smile. "Do you want to ride with me today?"

I can sense the uncertainty in his voice. I could start screeching like a banshee again and summon every priest in Forks for all he knows. Though the idea is enticing, I decide that I antagonized him enough the day before.

"As long as I get to drive," I reply, trying to sound self-assured. He throws his head back and laughs openly, taking me by surprise again. I wait with baited breath, wondering if he'll actually let me drive his car.

"No."

I sigh heavily. "It was worth a shot."

As I step into the warm car, I notice his tan jacket slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closes behind me, and, sooner than should be possible, he's sitting next to me.

"Don't you want to put on your jacket?" I ask, noticing that he is wearing nothing but a knit V-neck shirt.

"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something."

"Isn't it supposed to work the other way around?" I ask. He glances questioningly at me. "You know, I'm supposed to say, 'Oh, Edward, it's so cold out today, isn't it?' and then you go, 'Here, take my jacket' and then I say, 'Why, thank you, you're such a gentleman' and I put on your jacket even though I'm already wearing like twenty layers."

Edward rolls his eyes, but I catch the smile. He pulls out of the driveway and speeds through the foggy streets, driving like a maniac as usual. He isn't speaking, so I keep eating my breakfast and staring out the window.

Halfway to school, he turns to smirk at me. "What, no twenty questions today?"

"I tot my questions pissth you off," I retort through a mouth of Lucky Charms.

"Not as much as your reactions do." He looks like he's joking, but I can't be sure. I swallow the cereal before speaking again, not wanting to spray his precious car with my peasant crumbs.

"I don't know how you were expecting me to react," I say coolly. Edward shrugs.

"It's just that your reaction and your thoughts were identical," he says, frowning slightly. "I've never witnessed that before."

"What can I say?" I flip my hair dramatically over my shoulder. "I'm just that honest."

It's only then that I realize something. "Hey, where's the rest of your family?"

"They took Rosalie's car." He shrugs as he parks next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. "A little over-the-top, no?"

I resist the urge to drool all over Edward's window as I gaze at the car. "Wow. Why the hell does she ride with you if she has that?"

"Like I said, it's over-the-top. We try to blend in."

"Well, you're doing a pretty shitty job at it," I laugh as we get out of the car. I'm not late anymore; his madman driving got us to school in plenty of time. "So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?"

"Haven't you noticed? I'm breaking all the rules now." He meets me at the front of the car and stays close to my side as we walk onto campus. It's strangely clingy, but I don't really mind. I'm used to clingy people.

"I am not clingy," Edward mutters.

'Are too,' I think, snickering. 'Hey, why do you have cars like that at all? If you're looking for privacy?'

"An indulgence," he admits with an impish smile. "We all like to drive fast."

I scoff. "I noticed."

Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Bella's waiting, her eyes about to bug out of their sockets. They flit quickly to my cereal box before landing on Edward, and then on me. Over Bella's arm, for some reason, is my jacket. I wonder why Angela didn't bring it to me the day before.

"Bella insisted," Edward mutters under his breath as we approach Bella. I glance sideways at him with a 'what the hell?' expression on my face.

"Hey, Bella," I say when we get to her. "Thanks for bringing my jacket." She hands me my jacket without speaking. She looks like she's about to be sick, and I take my jacket quickly so that she doesn't puke on it.

"Good morning, Bella," Edward says politely. When I glance at him again, I see that he's doing that stupid smoulder thing again. And Bella is having a seizure.

"Um… hi." She shifts her eyes to me, trying to breathe evenly. "I guess I'll see you in Trig."

She gives me a meaningful look before walking away, and I suppress a sigh. What was she expecting me to tell her?

"She's going to ambush you in class," Edward says cheerily as Bella disappears around the corner. I glare at him.

"What does she want to know?"

He shakes his head, grinning wickedly. "Now, now, that isn't fair."

"Your existence isn't fair!" I snap, throwing my empty cereal box into a nearby garbage can. "You have to share your information."

He deliberates for a moment as we walk. We stop outside the door to Trig, which, thankfully, is closed. "She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me."

I try to stop my mind from answering those questions, but I can't. 'No, we aren't secretly dating, and you're a hot piece of ass but you're also kind of a vampire and possibly a thousand years dead.' SHIT!

"Well," Edward pauses to catch a stray lock of hair that's escaping what I hoped was an artistically messy bun. He wound it back into place before shoving his hand back into his pocket. "I'd suggest you say yes to the first, if you don't mind, because it's easier than any other explanation. Besides, according to you, we're still going to the dance together."

I open my mouth to retort, but I realize that he's right. "Fine."

"And as for her other question… well, I'd suggest you don't say what you're really thinking in this case." One side of his mouth pulls up into that stupid uneven smile. I open my mouth to retort again, but for the first time, I have no comeback. He turns around and walks away.

"I'll see you at lunch," he calls over his shoulder. Three people walking into trig stop to stare at me, and I glare back at them until they look away. I hurry into class, irritated beyond belief. He's such a cheater.

Of course, when I get to my seat, Bella's practically bouncing off her seat in agitation that she's failing to restrain. I reluctantly take my seat, trying to convince myself that it's better to get it over with as soon as possible.

"Hey, Jess," says Bella, a painfully stretched smile on her face. "So Edward, huh?"

I grimace. "Yeah, I guess so."

At first, it was oddly satisfying to be walking around with the guy I knew Bella liked, especially since she practically snatched Mike out from under my nose. But now, it's just pathetic. She obviously thinks he's a hot piece of ass too, but she's a little… enthusiastic.

"What happened that night?" she asks, trying to sound conversational.

"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home."

She glares at me in such an un-Bella-like manner that I raise my eyebrows. "How did you get home before your mom did? I thought you said she wanted you home in time?"

Did I say that? Huh. "He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying."

"Was it like a date? Did you tell him to meet you there?"

My eyebrows shoot higher up when I see how worked up she's getting. "No, I was honestly surprised that he was there."

Her lips pucker in disappointment. "But he picked you up for school today?"

"Uh, yeah," I say, looking forward. "That was a surprise too."

"So… are you going out again?"

She's trying so hard to sound indifferent. "We're going to the dance on Saturday… but it's kind of an agreement… does that count?"

"Yes." She nods.

"Well, then, yeah, I guess."

"Wow," she says, widening her eyes. "Edward Cullen."

"I know," I say, frowning a bit. I can't believe it either. Just a few weeks ago, I was poking fun at him and his Kardashian clan.

"Wait, has he kissed you yet?" asks Bella suddenly. I nearly fall out of my chair.

"N-no, it's not like that."

She looks disappointed, and I'm surprised to find that I feel kind of disappointed too. I mean, yeah, he's gorgeous, but mountain lions? Really?

"Do you think, at the dance…?" Bella raises her eyebrows.

"I highly doubt it," I say knowingly. Bella's starting to look plain pissed off.

"What else did you talk about?"

Mr. Varner walks in, and the noise in the class falls to a hush. I lean over to whisper to Bella one last time before class starts. "Mountain lions."

* * *

By the end of second period chem, every single person in school somehow finds out that I'm going to the dance with Edward. I'm not sure if this makes me very pleased or very pissed.

Angela, who conveniently sits beside me in chem, suddenly gets a Cheshire-cat grin on her face. "I don't think you'll be sitting with us at lunch today."

"What? Why would you say that?" I turn around to see what Angela is grinning at. Outside the door to our chem class, leaning against the wall, Edward was waiting for me with his arms folded across his chest.

"See ya, Jess," Angela says in a sing-song voice as she sweeps her books into her bag. She leaves in a flash, waggling her fingers at me as she exits the classroom. I hear Edward greet her politely, and she replies in the same sing-song voice she used on me. I roll my eyes.

I take my sweet time packing my bag, hoping to annoy Edward as much as I can, but he still looks fairly calm by the time I get out. He has a smile on his face like he's hiding something. I frown. "What?"

"Do you have your lunch?" he asks cheerily, rapping his fingers on his messenger bag. I clutch at my backpack before looking up in horror.

"Shit! I knew I forgot something!"

"I thought so," says Edward. Before I can open my mouth to snap at him, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a crisp white paper bag. "Triple cheese lasagna?"

I let out a squeal, my hands outstretched to grab at the bag. The corners of his mouth twitch as he hands me the bag, and I jump up and down as I open it. I take a sniff of the lasagna and look up in surprise. "Is this from that place in Port Angeles?"

"And to think you made fun of me for sniffing things out," says Edward, a full-blown smile on his face. I look back at the bag, eyebrows raised questioningly. How did he get back in time? Of course, he hears that too. "I drive fast."

"You don't say!" I reply, folding the paper bag again. "Thanks, bud."

I smack Edward's arm appreciatively before turning around to walk to the cafeteria. He walks beside me in silence, hands shoved in his pockets, but his eyes return to my face every few seconds. I ignore it until we get to his (empty) table in the cafeteria, at which point I decide to intervene. "So are you going to tell me what's up?"

"What do you mean?" asks Edward, blinking innocently as we sit down. I roll my eyes.

"You bought me lasagna… from Port Angeles. You obviously want something."

Edward grins. "Observant, are we?"

"Don't patronize me," I snap, pulling the lasagna out of the bag. "It isn't really helping your case. Now, are you going to tell me what you want, or am I going to have to refuse off the bat?"

"Would you mind," Edward leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, "if we did something before the dance on Saturday?"

I freeze and put my forkful of lasagna back onto the plate. "Depends on what this 'something' is."

"It involves baseball," says Edward cryptically, hiding another smirk. I narrow my eyes. Baseball sounds great – partially because I'm great at it – but nothing's ever as it seems with Edward.

"Fine, but no funny business," I say, pointing my fork at him. "Or I will burn you alive."

He leans forward, flashing his teeth briefly in a grin. "I'd like to see you try."

I stuff a forkful of lasagna into my mouth. "Be careful what you wish for, Kim."

"What?"

"No-thing."

Edward shakes his head, smiling. I tilt my head to a side, studying his face.

"You should do that more often," I say. He raises his eyebrows questioningly. "Smile. It makes you look less menacing."

"Well, then, I'll remember to do it less around you," he replies, watching as I take another bite of my food. His eyes suddenly dart over to the hallway, and widen slightly. I turn around to see what he's gaping at and I freeze.

Emmett and Rosalie are standing in the hall, talking quietly to each other. Emmett seems to be consoling Rosalie, but she doesn't seem to be taking any of it. Suddenly, she whirls around to look at me. No, not to look – to glare, with dark, cold eyes. I raise my eyebrows back at her, waiting for her to look away. She doesn't.

Without breaking eye contact – **never** break eye contact, it shows weakness – I whisper to Edward. "Did I scratch her car door this morning?"

"No, she's just like that," Edward says quietly. He sounds angry. "It isn't your fault."

"Well, that's a first," I mutter, narrowing my eyes at her. Her eyes widen, as though I've taken her by surprise. Satisfied, I break eye contact with Rosalie.

To my surprise, Emmett catches my eye and flashes a grin in my direction. He starts to raise a hand to wave, but Rosalie grabs his hand and pulls him away before he can even try. Rolling my eyes, I turn back to Edward. "Tough crowd."

"I'm sorry about that," he replies, still glaring after Rosalie. "She's just worried. You see… it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly…"

"If you turn me into dinner?" I say conversationally, taking another bite of lasagna. He glances up at me, checking to see if I'm joking. "Don't worry, if you try, I'll take you up on that dare."

Edward frowns. "What dare?"

"The dare where I try and succeed at burning you alive."

He laughs as though I'm a child who just threatened to never take a bath ever again. I hope he knows I'm not joking.

* * *

By the way, to the reviewer who asked why Edward only recently got a whiff of Jessica, it's because they were never around each other until now. Jessica doesn't like him and stays as far away as she can until that day in English when she had to sit beside him.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	12. Chapter 12

We walk into English just as the bell rings, and I notice that Angela isn't in class. Then I remember that she told me she'd be at an environmental conference with Ben for the afternoon. My shoulders droop a little; I would have skipped if I knew Angela wouldn't be in class.

"I'll try to be interesting, then," says Edward quietly as we walk to the pair of desks in the back. I roll my eyes. Of course he was listening to my thoughts. When wasn't he?

As we sit down, I notice that he no longer angles the chair to sit as far from me as the desks will allow. Instead, he practically leans onto my desk, our arms almost touching. I frown at him and shove his elbows off my desk before letting my head drop onto the surface. He tries – and fails – to hide a smirk.

A sudden squeaking noise makes me look up again. Mr. Blume – dressed in a sea-foam green shirt so ugly it should be illegal – backs into the room, pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that holds an outdated TV and VCR. A movie day. Sweet.

He shoves a tape into the reluctant VCR and walks to the wall to turn off the lights. As he makes his way across the room, his beady eyes sweep across the classroom to see who's away. He lets out an exasperated sigh when he sees that I'm present before flipping the lights off. I snicker to myself.

And then, as the room goes black, I hear a sharp intake of breath. I glance to my left, where Edward's seated, but I can barely see his outline. "You okay?" I ask warily, leaning closer so I can see his face.

Suddenly, the opening credits begin, lighting the room by a token amount. I nearly jump out of my seat when I see Edward. His arms are crossed tightly across his chest, hands balled into fists. He seems to be clenching his teeth, and his eyes are blacker than ever.

"Edward?" I whisper, leaning back slightly. He doesn't reply. "Edward!" Nothing. "Eddie?"

"Jessica." He's speaking through his teeth, and his voice comes out sounding guttural.

"Yeah?"

"Shut. Up."

Under any other circumstances, I would be offended and would probably snarl right back at him. But in the moment, I decide to do as I'm told for as long as I can help it. Less than ten seconds later, I snap. "Are you… hungry?"

Edward sighs exasperatedly – much like Mr. Blume did at the beginning of class – before nodding. I'm struck by how much he reminds me of a dog who trashed a house. His eyes flit to mine, glinting as the light from the TV reflects off them. "What's with you and the animal analogies?"

"Didn't you hunt?" I ask, ignoring his question. His mouth curves into a frown.

"No. I didn't have time."

I'm feeling more and more cautious as his fists clench tighter under his arms. "D'you want me to go grab you a squirrel or something?"

Edward manages to laugh through clenched teeth. "I thought you were against my drinking animal blood?"

"Better them than me," I say before I can stop myself. His head snaps up to look at me before looking back down again. I pause for a moment before questioning him again. "What does the dark have to do with your thirst?"

"Intensifies it," Edward says shortly, as though he can't risk letting out any more breath. "I usually hunt in the dark."

"Fan-tastic," I mutter, brushing my hair out of my face. Edward hisses under his breath.

"Stop that."

I glance at him. "Stop what?"

"Moving. You're spreading your scent even more."

I freeze in an uncomfortable stance, keeping my eyes trained on the TV. I wonder if I should move, or hide in the bathroom until class is over. Edward looks sideways at me. "As long as you stay still, it'll be okay."

"What if I sneeze?" I hiss. "Or what if I have an itch?"

"Ms. Stanley," Blume's drawling voice comes from somewhere at the front of the classroom. "Please refrain from distracting the other students. Not everyone comes to class to socialize."

I grit my teeth. "My apologies, Mr. Blume. I was under the impression that – "

Before I can finish my sentence, Edward kicks me under the desk. I jump slightly and turn to glare at Edward, but he's looking straight ahead.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Stanley, what was that?"

"Nothing, sir," I reply, my eyes still on Edward. "Tourettes."

Blume mutters something indiscernible under his breath, and Edward chuckles to himself. "What? What did he say?" I demand in a whisper.

Edward's mouth twitches. "Shh."

My eyes narrow. Before I can stop myself, I flip my hair purposely so that its fruity scent drifts right in Edward's direction.

Big mistake.

He lets out an animalistic growl, quiet enough that the class can't hear, but loud enough for me. I slide quickly to the end of my seat, bringing my legs up so that I can wrap my arms around my knees. His mouth is fixated in a snarl, and I swear I can see fangs glinting from under his lips. "I don't taste good," I plead, shifting further back. "I'm a vegetarian, remember? No meatiness to my blood."

Edward freezes. I watch as his eyes slowly morph back into their usual light gold, and his teeth disappear behind his lips again. Before I can open my mouth, he turns away from me. He props his elbows up on his desk, head lowered into his hands, and his shoulders shake as he tries to mask the fact that he's killing himself laughing. I don't know whether I should be relieved or concerned, but I decide to let him laugh it out.

I breathe a sigh of relief when Blume flicks the lights back on at the end of class, and I stretch my arms out in front of me. Edward has finally stopped laughing. "Well, that was interesting," he murmurs. He's obviously trying to sound serious, but I can still hear the laugh in his voice.

"If by interesting you mean terrifying," I say, folding my arms across my chest. "Then yes. It was."

"Mr. Cullen, Ms. Stanley, please come see me before you leave."

Edward and I look up in surprise. I look back at Edward in confusion and watch as he reads what Blume is thinking. First he frowns, then raises his eyebrows before his face finally settles into a smirk. I feel my heart sink. This can't be good.

"What does he want?" I whisper as we get out of our seats. Edward shakes his head almost imperceptibly and holds a finger up to his lips, indicating that he's going to be an asshole and not say a word. I growl under my breath as we make our way up to Blume's desk.

Blume obviously senses our presence, seeing as we're standing right in front of him, but he chooses to ignore us until the last straggler leaves the room. He then locks his fingers together and looks up at us condescendingly. "So."

I glance sideways at Edward, who has a pleasantly nonchalant expression on his face. I turn back to Blume, who's now focusing only on me. "So…"

"Now, I know this may not be any of my business…" starts Blume, smirking slightly as he looks between the two of us. My stomach clenches again. Oh no. "… but I feel as though it's my obligation to, ah, ensure that your focuses will remain on English throughout the remainder of this course and not on other things."

No. Oh gosh, no. Anything but this. I can feel my face burning beetroot red as I look straight at Blume's unibrow, not daring to look at Edward. Blume takes a deep breath before a full-blown smirk takes over his face. "I've come to understand that the two of you have begun a relationship."

I can't stop my thoughts from rolling in. 'Is that really what it looks like? It isn't as though we're all up on each other in class… I mean, sure, our constant bickering can look like flirting at times. But today wasn't even remotely close to flirting. Hold on, are we actually dating? Neither of us actually came out and said it… I guess the dance counts… but not really? Do I even like him? Well, yes, obviously. Who wouldn't? Wait, I wouldn't! Because I know he's a vampire who could potentially rip out my jugular!'

Before I can open my mouth to deny Blume's claim, Edward beats me to the chase. "Mr. Blume, I assure you that our relationship will not interfere with class."

"Oh, it isn't you I'm worried about," says Blume, turning to look pointedly at me. "In fact, I think you're a good influence on Ms. Stanley here."

'WHAT?!' I think, my mouth dropping open. 'I'm a great English student! Solid eighties!'

"But I can't have you interrupting the class like today," continues Blume, oblivious to my outrage. I take this chance to look at Edward, who's most definitely smirking now. I lift my foot to stomp on his, but he moves his foot just before mine lands. Blume continues, apparently not noticing what was happening in front of him. "So I'm going to need your word, Ms. Stanley, that you will focus on English in English class."

'Maybe I'd focus in class if you didn't antagonize me, you prick,' I think, gritting my teeth. I take a deep breath. 'Killing Blume won't help me pass English. Besides, I only have a few more months of having to look at his stupid hairy face.'

I nod to myself before answering through clenched teeth. "Will do, Mr. Blume."

Blume narrows his eyes at me. "Very well. Consider this your pre-warning."

My hands clench into fists. "Yep."

I turn on my heel, hiking my bag further up my shoulder as I stomp toward the door. As I exit the classroom, I hear Blume talking to Edward.

"… And you're a good-looking young man, Mr. Cullen. You don't need to be rushing into a relationship anytime soon."

"I, uh," I can hear Edward trying to hold back a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :)


	13. Chapter 13

I'm long gone by the time Mr. Blume releases Edward from the grasp of his talons, and I don't see him again since Angela drives me home. Thankfully, I'm too tired to comprehend how mortified I'd been throughout the day. I stuff my face with leftover praline chocolates that my mother bought for an office meeting before falling face-first onto my bed.

"Jessica!"

I let out a groan, flipping over onto my stomach. The voice sounds annoyingly familiar, but it's much too early for me to decipher why someone other than my mother or Lucas is waking me up.

"Jess!"

"Shut up," I mutter, covering my face with my pillow. "Jessica isn't home."

"**Jessica** is going to be late if she doesn't wake up."

I nearly fall out of my bed as the voice finally registers in my mind. My head whips up, my hair all over the place, and my mouth drops open when I see who's leaning casually against my bed frame. "Edward?!"

"It's eight forty five," he replies. I let out a screech as I roll out of bed, falling right onto my butt. I rip my blanket-cocoon off myself and glance at the clock. He's right. Ugh.

Edward crosses my room to the closet and pulls out a pair of jeans and a shirt, tossing them onto my bed. I see him assess my fashionable combination of my mother's old grey pregnancy pants and a ratty Captain America t-shirt. "Nice pajamas."

"Thanks," I spit back bitterly as I trip into the bathroom. I brush my teeth and shower in record time, though it took an extra minute or two to dry my hair. I grab a bathrobe off the hook and wrap it around myself before running back outside to grab the clothes Edward pulled out of the closet. "How did you even get in here?"

"Your window. Now hurry up."

I gape, trying to come up with something to say, but I'm rendered speechless. I settle for rushing back into the bathroom to pull on my clothes. Just before I close the door, I poke my head around the frame and narrow my eyes at Edward. "No looking through my underwear drawer."

He holds his hands up in surrender, an amused expression on his face. "Scout's honor."

Ten minutes later, we're running out the door to Edward's car. I have a croissant in my mouth, and Edward's carrying my bag because I decided that breakfast was more important. Edward takes my being late as an excuse to drive at double the speed I'm used to, and I swear the sides of my mouth are billowing out like a dog with its head out the window.

"So, wait," I say as I finish off the last piece of my croissant. "Why were you in my room?"

"I didn't hear you wake up," replies Edward simply. I raise my eyebrows.

"Hear me? How could you – " I stop when I catch the half-smirk on his face. "No. That's – that's insane."

"Perks of being a vampire," says Edward as he turns into the school parking lot. "One of the few."

I frown; the ability to read minds is a pretty big perk. Edward looks sideways at me. "Not big enough." He glances at the time; thanks to his maniacal driving, we're only a few minutes late. "Let's go."

I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder as we hurry across the icy parking lot and into the school. For a split second, I completely forget what class I have first period.

"Trig."

"Thanks," I mutter before I can stop myself. Our shoes squeak against the freshly polished floors, and they seem especially loud since everyone's already in class. When we finally arrive outside the classroom, I turn to Edward. "Thanks," I repeat grudgingly. "For waking me up. And for the drive."

Edward's already-present smirk widens. "Why, you're welcome."

"But – " I point a finger in his face, close enough that I see him go slightly cross-eyed. "This conversation isn't over. Climbing into my room through the window? Not. Cool."

"Yes, ma'am," replies Edward sarcastically. He turns on his heel and starts walking back down the hall to who-knows-where. Just before I enter the classroom, I hear him again. "Wait, Jess!"

I whirl around and raise my eyebrows at him. He points to my leg, barely concealing his stupid smirk. I glance down and find that a corner of the hem of my jeans is tucked into my pink fuzzy socks. Exhaling heavily, I lean down to pull it out. When I stand straight again, the hallway is empty.

* * *

When I walk into the cafeteria, I'm surprised to find that Edward's table is completely occupied – but not with its usual inhabitants. It's covered in supplies, supposedly from the ongoing environmental conference, and the Cullens themselves are nowhere to be found.

"Looking for me?"

I turn around to find Edward standing beside me, assessing the situation. He shrugs nonchalantly after a moment. "I guess we're sitting at your table today."

A slow smile spreads over my face as I imagine how funny that would be. It disappears, however, when I look over at our half-empty table. Angela and Ben are still at work with the conference, so the only people at the table are Mike and Bella.

"Oh no. No no no no no," I groan, slapping a hand over my eyes.

Edward clears his throat before grabbing the elbow of my shirt and steering me over to the table. "Be nice."

"Yes, mother," I hiss as we arrive at the table. Mike and Bella both look up at us in surprise, and I catch Bella throw me a subtly murderous look before batting her eyelashes at Edward.

"Uh, hey, guys," says Mike, sliding down to make room for us. Edward sits down between Mike and me, something I take note of. Bella's chair screeches slightly as she angles herself toward us – or Edward, to be exact.

"Hey," I say in what I hope is a light tone. One glance from Edward tells me that it didn't come out as I'd hoped. 'I tried, so you can't criticize me,' I think haughtily.

"So…" says Mike, awkwardness oozing from his voice. "Are you two, like, a thing now?"

I narrow my eyes. So now he cares? Edward clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. When I don't reply, he does it for me. "Something like that, I suppose."

"Cool, cool," Mike rolls his Coke can in his hands, trying to seem uninterested, but I can tell by that familiarly frantic look in his eyes that he's **very** interested. "So, you're going to the dance together?"

"Yep," I say sharply, shifting closer to Edward. I catch him glancing down at me with an amused expression, but I ignore him. "You and Bella are going, right?"

"Yeah, we are," Mike puts an arm around Bella, who fidgets with her hair while gnawing on her lower lip. I purse my lips. I knew it; he's trying to make me jealous.

And it isn't working very well. Bella switches from her lower lip to her cuticles, and I catch Mike staring at her while she does it. Gross. It isn't until I look at her eyes that I realize she's batting her eyelashes at Edward again. 'Hey, Eddie,' I think, smirking. 'Looks like you've found yourself the president of your fan club.'

Edward coughs beside me, and my smirk widens. I turn to Mike and Bella, sensing the awkward silence. "So… it's pretty sunny out, huh?"

"Not really," says Mike quickly, folding his arms across his chest. I raise my eyebrows at him, but he stares right back at me.

"Well, it's sunnier than it was yesterday," I say, glancing outside. It's obvious that Mike's trying to get to me, but I won't let him.

"Still not that sunny."

I growl under my breath and start to get up, but Edward tugs me back down before I can attack Mike. He smiles at Mike and Bella then pats my back to cover up his sudden motion. I see Mike eye Edward's hand before pulling Bella closer to him. I roll my eyes. Real mature, Mike. Real mature.

"So, uh, Bella was just telling me about how she finished Wuthering Heights…" says Mike suddenly, stroking Bella's shoulder. I see her shift uncomfortably, and I can't help but feel a little bad for her. "… for the ninth time, isn't that right, Bella?"

She nods indifferently, her eyes never leaving Edward's face. I clear my throat. "Wuthering Heights, huh? I kind of prefer Harry Potter myself. I always had the hots for Cedric Diggory."

"You have no filter," Edward whispers to me as Mike asks Bella what a Cedric Diggory is.

I give Edward a look before thinking, 'Tell me something I don't know.'

"Yeah, well, Bella's sort of the sophisticated type," replies Mike snootily. I stare at Bella with a blank expression before turning to Mike with raised eyebrows. He falters slightly, looking back down at the table.

"So, uh, Bella," says Edward suddenly. I glance sideways at him, but he doesn't look at me. "How are you finding the Biology curriculum in Forks compared to Phoenix?"

I watch as Bella's face slowly turns the perfect shade of tomato red. "Oh, um, it's, um…" She dies out within a matter of seconds. We all wait for her to continue, but she doesn't.

"You, uh, were saying that it's pretty easy, right?" I say, covering up the awkwardness. I make a mental note that I've done my good deed for the day. Bella nods furiously. By the time the next silence rolls around, I decide that I've had enough awkwardness for one day. "Oh, hey, I just remembered that I, uh," I look around, fishing for an excuse to leave. "I have to wash my dog."

I push my chair back and get up, hiking my bag farther up my shoulder. I glance down at Edward, who's now trying desperately to choke back a laugh. A part of me wants to leave and watch him suffer, but I decide that I might as well do my good deed for tomorrow as well. "And Edward has to dry my dog, right, Edward?"

Edward coughs back a snicker. "That's… that's right." He picks his bag up off the floor and gets up. "It was nice talking to you."

"Yep," says Mike, raising a hand with a half-smile. Bella just blushes furiously, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

As we walk out of the cafeteria, both fighting back laughter, we hear Mike's confused voice. "Does Jess even have a dog?"

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you guys are liking this story. And yes. Bella is very creepy.


	14. Chapter 14

The craving starts after lunch. My stomach grumbles as I think about the perfectly whipped icing that tops the moist cupcake that's haunting my thoughts. It won't leave me alone throughout gym, and by the time chemistry rolls around, I'm practically dying. I finally give in and decide to skip chemistry to go to the little cupcake store just on the edge of the Quileute reserve.

I duck past my chemistry classroom and run out to the parking lot, where I see Angela's little white car in its usual parking spot. I know that if I text Angela and ask for permission to use her car, she'll freak out, thinking I'm trying to run away from home again. So I decide to break in. Sort of.

I grab the spare key from its lodging under the car, grinning as it glints in the sunlight. I'm buckled in the driver's seat of Angela's car before anyone can see, and I pull out of the parking lot within a minute. I sing along to Angela's Celine Dion CD on the way to the cupcake store, reveling in the joy of driving alone.

"NEAAAR, FAAR, WHERE-EEEEVVER YOU ARE, I BELIEVE THAT THE HEART DOES GO OOOOOON!" I feel the veins popping in my neck as I (almost) hit the note. I can see the old man in the car next to mine gawking at me, but I ignore him.

It takes about ten minutes to drive to the border of Forks and the reserve, and I grin when my eyes catch the store; Lacy's Cupcakes. It's pink and frilly and girly, and it looks like it makes the most delicious cupcakes.

I pull into one of the parking spots (doing a pretty shitty job at parallel parking) and hop out of the car, tossing the key into my bag. The cupcakes in the display window are making my mouth water, and I start walking faster. The door tinkles as I walk in, and the scrumptious smell of cupcakes wafts out from the store.

"Welcome to Lacy's Cupcakes." The voice is monotone, more annoyed than bored, but I can't seem to put a face to it. The face to the voice finally pokes out from behind a stack of cupcakes, and my mouth curves into a Cheshire-cat grin. 'Well,' I think. 'Hell-ooooo.'

He's got dark brown eyes, cropped black hair and the tan of someone who's never left the beach… except he's in Forks. Though I can't see him properly, I assume that he's about 6'5" and exceptionally muscular. I come to the conclusion that he must be Quileute. I'd classify him as complete eye-candy if it wasn't for the frilly pink and white apron he was wearing, paired with a white and pink sailor hat. My grin widens.

"Hey, uh…" I glance down at his nametag. "Paul."

His eyes narrow; he knows I'm mentally mocking him. "How many I help you?" he says mechanically. I press my lips together to keep from laughing as I survey the cupcakes on the counter.

"I'm sort of having a cupcake craving," I say. "What d'you have?"

Paul sighs like I've just asked him to build me a rocket ship. "Every single type under the flavor rainbow."

"Chocolate?" I ask, raising an eyebrow suggestively. My twitching mouth, however, gives me away. He growls under his breath as he whips off his hat, throwing it down onto the counter.

"Alright, smartypants," Paul leans across the counter, practically snarling at me. "Not all of us have a trust fund to lean back on. Some of us have to do slightly humiliating things to make money."

"You're right," I say. Paul raises his eyebrows; I've surprised him. "Not all of us have a trust fund. I certainly don't. But even I wouldn't stoop this low."

Paul shifts back, surveying my expression. He doesn't look pissed anymore, just mildly interested. "And I'm guessing a girl like you would want to go to college… how exactly are you planning on funding that?"

"Volleyball scholarship," I reply curtly. I have no idea why I'm telling him these things, but I just keep rambling on. "I'm expecting to be scouted this season."

"Volleyball…" repeats Paul, nodding slightly. I raise an eyebrow.

"You play?"

His mouth twitches like he's just thought of the funniest joke. "Sort of."

"Huh," I say, deciding not to read too far into it. I look down at the cupcakes again. "I think I'll have the chocolate after all."

"Good choice," replies Paul, grinning at me before grabbing a pair of tongs. I watch as he pops the cupcake into a portable container – which, of course, is pink. He hands me the container but raises a hand when I try to pull out my wallet. "No charge, smartypants."

I pause, my hand halfway in my bag. "Uh… why?"

"Because you're funny," says Paul simply, pushing the container at me. "Go ahead."

"Gee, thanks," I say, taking the container. "I should come here more often."

Paul raises his eyebrows. "You should."

I laugh; for some reason, it doesn't come off creepy at all. "Well, I've got to get going before my friend realizes I stole her car."

Paul starts to open his mouth to comment, but he stops in his tracks. His eyes catch something outside the window, and his face falls into a snarl. I follow his gaze and find that he's frowning at a silver car – a **very** familiar-looking silver car. My mouth drops open.

"Nice meeting you, Paul," I say distractedly as I start to exit the store, my eyes trained on the silver car. Just as I push the door open, Paul calls out behind me.

"Wait! What's your name?"

"Smartypants," I say before the door swings closed. I waggle my fingers at Paul with a grin before I turn back to the silver car. My smile slides right off my face when I confirm that it's Edward's car.

I walk over to the car and rap on the window, waiting for him to slide it down. It takes him a few seconds despite his vampire speed, which tells me that I should be suspicious. I lean down and smile humorlessly at him. "Hi, Edward! Wanna tell me what you're doing here?"

He looks like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "I… could ask you the same?"

I glare at him. "Open the door."

Edward waits for a fraction of a second before pressing down on the automatic lock. I get in and slam the door before turning to continue glaring at him. "Did you seriously follow me here?"

He sighs, leaning back in his seat. "Maybe."

I pause, trying to take that in. "That's really creepy. Like really, really creepy."

"Not the creepiest thing I've done," says Edward, shrugging. I open my mouth to retort, but nothing comes out. Nope. I've been out-creeped. He keeps talking despite the speechless expression on my face. "I was listening to a CD in my car and I heard your thoughts. I wasn't really doing anything, so I decided to follow you."

'Well…' I think, pursing my lips. 'That doesn't sound **as **creepy… but it's still weird on so many levels.'

Edward looks past me into the cupcake store, ignoring my thoughts. "I see you made a new friend."

I glance behind me. "Who, Paul? Yeah, he's cool."

"And interested."

"What?" I whip my head back to stare at Edward. He's looking down at the steering wheel as though it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"Nothing."

I pause, narrowing my eyes. I assess his expression, everything from the frantic look in his eyes to the almost pouty set of his lips. My jaw nearly drops to the floor when I come to the only possible conclusion. 'He's jealous.'

"No, I'm not," says Edward, tracing the outline of the steering wheel. "It's just that there's something off about him."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "O-kay. Whatever you say."

Edward throws a disapproving look in my direction. "I'm serious, Jessica. Something's wrong with him."

I glance back at the cupcake store. Paul's wearing the stupid sailor hat again with a dejected expression on his face. The only thing wrong with him is the fact that he doesn't werk it in that apron.

Edward glances over at me. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"

"I take plenty of things seriously," I say, turning back to him. "Like stalking."

Edward rolls his eyes. "You're never going to let this go, are you?"

I shake my head slowly, just to be dramatic. I'm trying not to think too much about it; I'm afraid I'll just scare myself. A look from Edward tells me that he heard that too.

"So, tell me," I say, crossing my legs. "What **is** the creepiest thing you've ever done?"

Edward freezes for a moment. I do a double take; it isn't like Edward to be comically dramatic, so this has to be the real thing. I lean forward, ready to hang onto his every word. "What? Tell me!"

His eyes meet mine before quickly looking away, and in that split second, I know it has something to do with me. 'Oh, come on,' I think desperately. 'Now you **have** to tell me.'

Edward glances down at the old-fashioned watch clasped around his wrist. "School's almost out. You should probably get Angela's car back where it should be."

My mouth drops open. "Did you actually just change the subject on me? Is it that bad?"

He pauses for a moment, searching for a way out. "I'll tell you some other time."

"No," I insist, folding my arms across my chest. "I'm not leaving this seat until you tell me."

Edward exhales heavily, leaning over the steering wheel. "If I let you drive my car back to the school, will you drop this?"

A slow grin spreads over my face. "For now."

"I'm going to regret this," he groans, lifting his head out of his arms. "Be careful with it. Don't run it over too many potholes."

"Oh my gosh," I say, jumping up and down in my seat. "Are you actually going to let me drive your car?"

Edward groans again. He's out of the car and at the passenger door within a matter of seconds, his keys dangling in his hand. He holds out his other hand for Angela's keys, and I hand them over with glee. Before he can warn me to be careful again, I snatch his keys out of his hand and rush over to the driver's seat.

I roll the windows down as the car starts, grinning up at Edward. "Don't worry, I'll be careful with your baby."

I pull out of the parking spot, snickering to myself as I see him assume what looks like a standing fetal position. I poke my head out the window and call after him as I drive away. "Or at least I'll try!"

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And I'm SO glad you guys got the Harry Potter reference ;)


	15. Chapter 15

I giggle to myself from my hiding spot behind the trees, nearly peeing myself with excitement. I tore down the streets with Edward's car so that I could get ahead of him, driving faster than I ever have in my entire life. The plan only came to me when I was far enough that Edward couldn't hear my thoughts, so he has no idea what I'm up to.

I wait a few more seconds before letting my false thoughts scream their way to Edward's sixth sense. 'EDWARD I CRASHED YOUR CAR! EDWARD! EDWARD! WHERE ARE YOU, I ACCIDENTALY CRASHED YOUR CAR! I THINK MY BRAINS ARE ON THE PAVEMENT! OH MY GOSH, IS THAT BONE?'

I hear the roar of Angela's car, and Edward is standing in front of his hidden car before my mind can process his arrival. This leaves him looking slightly confused, seeing as his car is perfectly intact – just very well hidden. I burst out laughing in the front seat, leaning my head against the steering wheel. I hear his horn beeping loudly as my forehead comes into contact with it, but my stomach hurts too much for me to care.

The driver's seat door is thrown open and I'm yanked, half dying, out of the car. I slump against the silver exterior, clutching at my stomach. I can see Edward tapping his foot against the ground, waiting for me to finish. I take a few deep breaths and wipe at my eyes before standing up straight. I instantly wish I didn't; he looks furious. He leans closer until he's right up in my grill, close enough that I can see the veins appearing in his eyes. "Deal's. Off."

Before I can reply, Edward grabs my arm and steers me toward Angela's car. I yank back in protest, but his grip is rock-solid. "Oh, come on. You know it was funny."

"No, it wasn't," he snarls, turning back around to glare at me. "I thought you were seriously hurt."

"Sure you were," I snap, pulling back again. "You were just afraid that I totaled your car. Besides, that's what you get for invading the privacy of my brain."

Edward continues to glower at me for a few moments, his pitch-black eyes burning into mine. Suddenly, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out Angela's keys, slapping them into my hand. "Take Angela's car back."

He's in his own car before I can reply. I open my mouth to protest, but he slams the door shut and turns the key in the ignition, looking straight ahead.

"Come on," I call after him as he drives away, leaving me in the dust. "You had it coming!"

But he's already gone. I roll my eyes; talk about over-exaggeration. Tossing Angela's keys from hand to hand, I walk up to the main street, where her car's been haphazardly parked in the middle of the road. I start the car and follow the scorch marks of Edward's tires all the way back to the school.

* * *

To my surprise, Edward is leaning against his car in the parking lot when I get back to school. I frown as I park the car back in its spot, and my frown doesn't leave my face as I get out of the car. "What're you still doing here? I thought you were having a temper tantrum?"

Edward sighs. "I was not having a temper tantrum, Jessica. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Well, I wouldn't, would I?" I reply as I walk over to his car. "I can't read minds."

He opens his mouth to retort, but I can see in his eyes that he realizes it's useless. He closes his mouth and gestures to his car. "Do you want a drive home? School doesn't end for another fifteen minutes."

I really don't want a ride home from a grumpy Edward, but I don't want to have to wait for Angela for another fifteen minutes either. So I get into Edward's car with a grudging expression on my face. I see him scoff and roll his eyes before he gets in, and I can't help but grin to myself. So Edward Cullen **does **get pissed off.

"Only by you," says Edward as he starts his car. "And sometimes Rosalie and Alice."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Alice? I thought you guys got along?"

"How would you know…" Edward pauses, reading my thoughts for an answer. Of course I know they get along, I've seen how they interact at lunch. He almost smiles. "Alice annoys me in a very different way than Rosalie does."

"Do I annoy you like Alice does or like Rosalie does?" I ask, trying to hide a smirk. He glances over at me, studying my face.

"Both."

I grin. 'It's a love-hate relationship. Ew, did I actually just think that? Do me a favor, Edward, and pretend you never heard that.'

He glances over at me, smirking. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You're a dick," I glower at him. He grins, and I feel a little relieved; at least he's not still pissed about my fantastically hilarious prank.

"It was not fantastically hilarious," says Edward bitterly. "And of course I'm still – pissed."

I grin at him. "Well, well, well. Pottymouth Cullen."

Edward rolls his eyes, trying not to seem amused. Just as we pull into my street, he brings up something I had completely forgotten about. "By the way, I'll pick you up at ten tomorrow."

"But the dance isn't until…" I freeze as I remember that he planned something mysterious for before the dance. "Oh."

"Yeah." A smirk spreads over Edward's face, and I find myself feeling just a little defensive.

"Do I get to know what we're going to be doing?" I ask, trying my best angelic smile. I can tell by how Edward's smirk widens that my angelic smile isn't working.

"All you need to know is that there will be enough time for you to go home and get ready for the dance."

My heart starts beating faster. I hate not being in control of situations; it makes me nervous. Presents are different; sure, they're surprises, but I know that they're positive surprises. But a surprise outing planned by Edward Cullen? I feel myself working up a sweat.

"You don't need to be afraid," Edward assures me, giving me what he thinks is a kind smile. Little does he know that it only makes me more nervous. It's only when he pulls up into my driveway that I hear him mutter something under his breath. "I hope."

"I heard that!" I throw the passenger side door open, grumbling to myself. Stupid vampire. Now I'm terrified to wake up tomorrow morning.

"Oh, Jessica?" Edward calls before I slam the door closed. I bend down to glare at him.

"What?"

"Wear something nice tomorrow," he advises, raising an eyebrow meaningfully at me. My mouth drops open.

"WHY?!"

"Good night!" Before I can stop him, he reaches over and slams the door closed. He pulls out of the driveway and disappears down the street, leaving me to scream obscenities after him. After I've scared the shit out of all my neighbors, I turn on my heel and stomp into my house.

* * *

Despite the wind and rain beating at my window all night, a soft click is what wakes me up. I sit up in bed, looking frantically around my room. Something's wrong. It feels… off. I swing my legs out of bed and get up, pausing to stretch. I glance at the clock; one thirty one in the morning. What the hell am I even doing up?

"You know, you're really interesting when you sleep."

A hand clamps over my mouth before I can scream. I struggle against my assailant, kicking and punching with all my might, but he – or she – doesn't budge. It's only when I come into contact with hard, cold skin that I realize who I'm dealing with. I relax, folding my arms across my chest. 'Get your hand off my mouth if you value your balls.'

The hand is gone in an instant. "No need for threats."

I whirl around to gape in shock. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Edward's leaning against my dresser, looking eerily comfortable in **my** room. "You asked me how creepy I could get."

"I – I didn't ask for a demonstration!" I exclaim. I quickly glance down to make sure I'm not in my underwear; thankfully, I decided the night before that it was too cold for that. Instead, I was wearing an old Lizzie McGuire shirt and baggy basketball shorts – even worse than last time.

"I kind of like the look," says Edward, assessing my outfit like he's a host from What Not To Wear. "Very hobo-chic."

I let out a snort when he says 'chic'. But that doesn't stop the fact that I'm pissed – and creeped out. "Wait, this is the creepiest thing you've ever done? Sneaking into my room?"

Edward nods, not phased in any way by how weirded out I am. "You're quite interesting when you're asleep."

"You watch me while I sleep?!" I scream-whispered, taking a step back. "I – wait – what?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I told you it was creepy."

"I – I…" I trail off, finding myself at a loss for words yet again. "You do this on a regular basis? Since when?"

Edward pauses, assessing my expression. "Since Port Angeles."

I sit back down on my bed, letting my head fall into my hands. "What the…"

"There isn't much else to do when you're a vampire."

"Why don't you – oh, I don't know – go to sleep?" I ask, looking up at him. He raises his eyebrows again.

"Vampires can't sleep."

I pause. Okay, that's new. "So, you can't eat or sleep. What, do you even go to the bathroom?"

Edward gives me a look, but I glare right back at him. He can't lecture me about being inappropriate, not when he's secured the position of creep of the century. He sighs. "Only… number one."

I snort at his inability to say pee. He glowers at me. "I'm trying to be delicate."

I snort again. "There's no use in trying to be delicate with me. You've been in my mind."

Edward shrugs as if to agree. He then glances swiftly at the clock. "It's getting late. You're going to be up pretty early for a Saturday."

"What are we doing tomorrow?" I hiss, getting up off my bed. He grins back at me, raising his hands as if he's helpless. I narrow my eyes as he backs up into my window. I watch as he unlocks it and swings a leg outside.

"Sleep well. You're going to need it."

Just as he ducks his head under the window, something happens. I feel my thoughts slip away from my rationality, and a single idea slips out. 'Don't go.'

"What?" Edward and I say at the same time. He ducks back under the window and stares at me, pure shock on his face. I know that the same shock is reflected in mine.

"I – I don't know. Nothing. Bye."

Edward narrows his eyes slightly before ducking under the window again. Before I can stop my thoughts, another idea slips out. 'Why doesn't he stay for the night?'

"How about NO?" I say aloud, gripping my head. What the hell is going on?

"I really don't know," says Edward, leaning back against my window frame. I look up in shock; he's still here?

'Of course he is. Ask him to stay.'

"What the hell?" I take a step back, looking up at Edward in shock. He looks back at me, his expression way too amused for my liking. "Are you doing this?"

"Nope," he says, popping the 'p'. I open my mouth to speak again, but I'm interrupted by my thoughts.

'Of course he didn't. But you know that already, don't you? These are **your** thoughts. And **you** want him to stay.'

"No, I don't!" I screech, climbing back into bed. I bury myself into my sheets, slapping my pillow over my head. I poke my head out one last time to glare at Edward. "Go away!"

"As you wish."

I stay under the sheets for a few seconds, waiting to hear him jump from my second-floor bedroom. When I don't hear anything, I poke my head out again. The window sill is empty. I jump out of bed and run over to the window, glancing up and down the streets. They're empty as well. He's gone.

I walk backwards to my bed, letting myself fall onto it when my calves hit the bed frame. I cover my face with my hands. What is going on?

* * *

First of all, NO! No, no, no. There will not be an Edward/Jessica/Paul triangle. I hate triangles. I prefer straight lines that lead from one person to another, thank you very much.

Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you guys like the fact that I replaced Jacob with Paul; I thought he related more with Jessica.


	16. Chapter 16

I'm awoken the next morning by the muted light of yet another cloudy day. I lay with my arm across my eyes, groggy and dazed. Something's nagging at me, struggling to break into my consciousness. I groan and roll on my side, hoping more sleep will come. And then the previous night's events flood back into my awareness.

"Shit!" I sit up so fast my head spins. Unless it was some horrible, horrible nightmare, Edward had been in my room the night before. And I subconsciously told him that I didn't want him to leave, for some reason. I let my head fall into my hands, grumbling to myself. "Goddammit, Jess, what've you done?"

I know what this means. He's going to be a cocky bastard because he knows I like him now. Hell, I don't even know if I like him for real. Sure, he's attractive and he isn't an idiot, but he's a vampire. He probably had rabbit for breakfast. And though I haven't fully gotten it out of him yet, I know that there's a chance that if he gets really hungry, I may end up becoming dinner one day.

I lift my head out of my hands when I catch a whiff of something delicious. Is that… pancakes? I throw off my covers and pad out of my room, my nose raised in the air. Definitely pancakes – buttermilk pancakes with… chocolate chips? I break into a sprint, nearly slipping as I race down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Edward's standing in front of the stove, looking strangely at home as he flips a pancake on the griddle. He doesn't look up at me as he greets me. "Good morning. Your hair looks like a haystack."

"When doesn't it?" I grumble, walking over to peek over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

He looks at me over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Poisoning me?" I try. He rolls his eyes. "So, is this a regular thing now? Breaking into my house?"

"If you don't want the pancakes…"

"No, no, it's all good," I say quickly. I'm starving, and my mouth is watering at the sight of the perfectly browned pancakes. He laughs quietly to himself before adding the pancake to a stack he already created.

"Here," Edward hands me the plate, gesturing toward the breakfast table. "I could hear your stomach growling in your sleep."

"Thanks," I say gratefully, carrying the plate over to the table. I don't even bother with a fork and knife, picking apart the pancakes with my fingers instead. Edward turns the stove off before joining me at the table, watching me amusedly as I scarf down the food. I pause when I'm about three pancakes in, realizing that I'm probably being rude. "Can I get you anything?"

He rolls his eyes. "Just eat, Jessica."

I shrug and continue to eat the pancakes, trying to ignore the fact that he's staring at me, studying my every movement. It's making me nervous. I clear my mouth to speak. "So… can you tell me where we're going now?"

"Hmm…" I watch him frame his answer carefully. "No."

"Seriously?!" I push my plate away even though there's only half of a pancake left. "This isn't fair!"

"You're done?" asks Edward, pushing his chair back to get up.

"We're going already?" I snatch the last half off the plate, stuffing it into my mouth. "But it's so early!"

"The early bird catches the worm," says Edward with a smirk. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Or the mountain lion."

He rolls his eyes again. "Come on. You have to get ready."

"Wha – what do I even wear?" I ask exasperatedly, getting up. Edward narrows his eyes, thinking.

"Jeans. And that dark purple shirt."

"The lacy one?" I ask, frowning. "Why?"

"Because it looks nice on you," says Edward simply, giving me a little shove toward the stairs. "Now go."

I head up the stairs reluctantly, not sure whether I should lock my door and hide in my room until the evening. Edward pokes his head out of the kitchen. "I'll drag you out kicking and screaming."

'Shit,' I think, stomping up the stairs. It takes me about fifteen minutes to brush my teeth, shower and change into Edward's suggested outfit. I'm glad that I'm going to be in jeans in case I have to do some running away from whatever he's planning. One glance in the mirror tells me that my hair is entirely impossible, so I twist it into a bun. At least it looks like I put a little bit of effort into my appearance now.

"Okay." I bounce down the stairs. "I'm ready. Now can you – "

Edward, who's waiting at the foot of the stairs, lets out a sigh of relief. "Finally. Come on, we're going to be late."

"Can't you tell me – "

"No."

Before I can protest, Edward grabs my arm and tugs me out of my house. I barely have time to slip my feet into my shoes, seeing as he's going at vampire speed. I'm in the passenger seat of his car within the next few seconds, and we're out of my neighborhood in the next minute.

"This is technically kidnap," I point out as we pass over the bridge at the Calawah River. The road starts winding northward, and the houses flashing past us grow farther apart and get bigger. And then we pass the houses altogether, driving through misty forest. "Where are we?"

Edward doesn't reply as he turns abruptly onto an unpaved road. It's unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. And then, after a few miles, we're suddenly in a small meadow – or a lawn? Six cedar trees shade an entire acre with their branches, holding a protective shadow right up to the walls of the house that rises among them. I have no idea where I am, but I know that I love it. The house is timeless – probably a hundred years old, but it's beautiful regardless. It's painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors are either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. Edward's car is the only one I can hear for miles around, though I can hear the calming flow of a nearby river. "Wow," I breathe.

"You like it?" asks Edward, smiling. I look around, completely awestruck.

"I'd like it much more if I know where we are," I say, turning back to Edward. I raise my eyebrows, waiting for him to explain. He takes a deep breath, turning to me with a cautious expression.

"What would you say to meeting my family?"

* * *

Alice Cullen sits by the bay window on the second floor, keeping an eye on their driveway. Jasper's lingering at her side, trying to calm her nerves, but it isn't having much of an effect. She's nervous, and for good reason. Jessica Stanley is a human who's about to step foot into a house full of vampires; one of whom isn't fully comfortable around human blood. Alice glances up at Jasper and tightens her grip on his hand.

A few feet away, Emmett is standing behind Rosalie, his hands resting easily on her shoulders. Rosalie is sitting rigidly on the sofa, her hands clasped under her chin. Emmett has a feeling of impending doom in the pit of his stomach as he watches his fiancée brood in silence, and in that moment he decides not to let her anywhere near Jessica for the first few minutes. Or hours. Whatever works.

Suddenly, Alice jumps up from her seat. "They're going to be here soon!"

Carlisle and Esme, who are waiting downstairs, fidget nervously when they hear Alice's premonition. Esme's heels click against the hardwood flooring as she paces the ground in front of the door. She's been waiting for this moment for a long time. It always made her upset to see Edward alone in the midst of a house full of couples, and now that was finally about to change. Esme wanted everything to be perfect when Jessica stepped foot into their household; she knew that Carlisle had met Jessica before, and he said she seemed like a very charismatic girl. Charisma is something Edward needs more of in his life. Esme takes a deep breath, turning to Carlisle. "Everything's going to be great."

Carlisle smiles easily, walking over to join his wife in her current spot by the piano. "Of course it is. Don't worry."

"No, it won't."

The couple looks up to find Rosalie standing at the top of the stairs, her arms folded across her chest. "He's setting himself up for failure. This isn't going to work, and everyone knows it."

"Rose – " Emmett comes up behind her, but falters slightly when he catches the venomous expression on her face. "Why don't you just give her a chance?"

"Because a chance is all we need for a mistake to be made," snaps Rosalie. Before she can continue, Alice appears beside her, Jasper in tow. Her eyes are wide, and her expression is worried yet somehow amused.

"They're here…" says Alice, pressing her lips together. "But there's a slight problem."

Her words claim the attention of all six Cullens. They look at her in confusion, waiting for her to explain, but all she does is scrunch her face in anticipation of the scream that's sure to come from the driveway.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

* * *

So this chapter was pretty short because it's a filler chapter, but tomorrow's chapter is going to be... interesting...

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited! :)


	17. Chapter 17

I make a move to jump out of the car, but Edward locks the door before I can move a single finger. I yank repeatedly at the handle, but it has no effect. I'm locked in.

"Jess," says Edward, trying to sound consoling. I reach across the seat and grab a fistful of his light ivory shirt, pulling him right up to my face.

"Don't you **dare** Jess me" I snarl. "How could you? You didn't even bother to warn me!"

"There's no need for me to warn you," Edward insists, not bothered by the fact that my angered face is about an inch away from his. His mouth twitches slightly. "They're not going to bite."

"Maybe not," I let go of his shirt and try the door again. "But I'm not ready to meet them yet."

"Why not?" The question is rhetorical; Edward waits for my thoughts to fill in the gaps, and he raises his eyebrows in surprise when he reads them. "They aren't going to hate you, Jessica."

"Stop that!" I snap, pulling at the door again. "And open the door!"

"No." Edward waits, surveying my expression. "What makes you think they won't like you?"

He pauses, waiting for my thoughts again. I try to stop them, but it's no use. Edward sighs when he hears them. "Rosalie is Rosalie. She doesn't like anyone."

'What about my Kardashian metaphor?' I think. I shiver when I imagine what would happen if they found out about that.

"Don't worry, they don't know about that," says Edward. His mouth curves into a smirk. "Yet."

I make a sudden movement to try and climb over the back seat, hoping to open the back doors, but Edward pulls me back with a frown. "They've been waiting to meet you for a long time."

"Are you actually trying to guilt me into meeting your family? It won't work." I fold my arms across my chest and wait for a few moments. I crack before the minute's up, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Edward grins. "Thought so."

"Shut up."

"So…" Edward reaches out to snap a stray thread from my shirt. "Are you ready?"

"NO!"

"Good." Before I can stop him, Edward shoots out of his seat and appears at the passenger side door, holding it open for me. He flashes me an angelic smile as I climb out warily, and I resist the urge to stick my middle finger up at him. 'I'm gonna get you back for this someday,' I think.

"I look forward to it."

I smooth my hair nervously as I look up at the intimidating house. It just highlights the fact that I'm completely out of place. Edward glances down at me and opens his mouth to say something, but stops himself for some reason. Instead, he takes my hand easily and leads me up to the porch. It isn't until his thumb starts making circles on the back of my hand that I realize that I'm shaking like a dog that just jumped out of the water. Edward chuckles at my analogy before pushing the front door open.

The inside is even more surprising than the exterior. It's bright, open and large. It must have originally had several rooms, but the walls have been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back wall has been entirely replaced with glass, and I can see the lawn stretching all the way to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominates the west side of the room. The walls, high-beamed ceiling, wooden floors and thick carpets are all varying shades of white.

Waiting to greet us, standing by a gleaming grand piano, are Edward's parents. I've seen Dr. Cullen many times before, thanks to multiple volleyball injuries, but he seems to look even more outrageously perfect beside his wife. Esme, the only one of the family I'd never seen before, has the same pale, flawless features as the rest of them. She has a heart-shaped face, like Angela, and caramel-colored hair so soft that I do a double take. She's small and slender, yet less angular, more rounded than the others. They're both dressed casually, in light colors that match the inside of the house. They smile in welcome, but make no move to approach us. 'Are they trying not to scare me?' I think. 'Jeez, I was afraid I'd scare **them**.'

"Carlisle, Esme," Edward's voice breaks the short silence. "This is Jessica."

"Hello, Jessica." Carlisle's step is measured, careful as he approaches me. I can't help but feel bad; they honestly don't scare me. I step forward and close the distance as he extends a tentative hand, ignoring Edward's sharp intake of breath. Carlisle seems taken aback for a second, but he quickly composes himself again.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen," I say.

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle," I smile at him. I can feel Edward's relief at my side as the tension in the room eases. Esme smiles and steps forward as well, but she extends her arms. I let her hug me, momentarily surprised. Her hug is surprisingly warm despite how cold her skin is.

"It's very nice to meet you," she says sincerely. I can't believe how nice they are; how did Edward turn out to be such an asshole? He throws me a glare, and I grin back at him in Esme's embrace.

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Edward asks. Just as the words leave his mouth, they appear at the top of the wide staircase.

"Hey, Edward!" Alice calls enthusiastically. She runs down the stairs, a streak of black hair and white skin, coming to a sudden and graceful stop in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shoot warning glances at her, but I can't help but like her. She's doing what she feels is natural – for her, anyway.

"Hi, Jessica!" Alice says, and before I can return the greeting, she bounces forward to kiss my cheek. If Carlisle and Esme had looked cautious before, they now look staggered. I probably look shocked as well, but only because I'm surprised she's so friendly. I can feel Edward stiffening at my side, and I turn my head slightly toward him. 'Down, boy. She's just being friendly.'

"You do smell nice, I never noticed before," Alice comments, and a grin spreads over my face.

"Thanks, I try."

I see Carlisle bring a hand up to cover a smile, and Esme glances sideways at him, nudging him with her elbow. Alice turns to Edward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I like her."

No one else seems to know quite what to say, and then Jasper's there – tall and silent. A sudden feeling of ease spreads through me as Jasper's eyes meet mine, and I gape, not knowing whether he's doing it or not. Edward stares at Jasper, an eyebrow raised, and I know that it is in fact Jasper who's doing it.

"Hello, Jessica," Jasper says. He keeps his distance, not offering to shake my hand. I start to step forward, but then I remember Edward telling me about Jasper's… control issues. I root my feet to the ground and smile at him.

"Hey, Jasper."

I see his mouth curve into a tentative smile, and I nearly stagger backwards. Jasper Cullen, smiling? No one at school would believe this. I hear Edward chuckle to himself, and I throw him a look.

"Jessica Stanley."

I look up to find Emmett standing at the top of the stairs, sans Rosalie, thankfully. He bounds down the stairs, reminding me eerily of a grizzly bear (thanks a lot Edward), and halts to a stop beside Alice. Edward stares meaningfully at Emmett, who waves his hand dismissively. "Rose went out for a bit." Emmett turns to me, a megawatt smile lighting up his face. "Hey, Jessica. Pretty brave of you, stepping foot into a houseful of us."

"Emmett!" Esme says, scandalized. I can't help but grin at Emmett's lack of a filter; he reminds me so much of someone. Edward glances at me, hiding a grin of his own.

"Brave… or stupid," I say to Emmett, shrugging nonchalantly. Emmett's grin widens, if that's even possible.

"Well, those two sort of go hand in hand."

When I hear the word 'hand', my eyes travel straight to the shiny black piano. I've always wanted to learn how to play, but I just don't have the patience. I find myself wondering who in the Cullen family plays – if not all of them.

"Do you play?" asks Esme, noticing my preoccupation. I shake my head.

"Not at all. But I've always wanted to learn. Is it yours?"

"No," she laughs. "Edward didn't tell you he was musical?"

I glare at his suddenly innocent expression with narrowed eyes. "No. He tends to leave things like that out of conversations. Though I should have known, I guess."

Esme raised her eyebrows in confusion, looking from Edward to me.

"Edward can do everything, right?" I explain. Emmett and Jasper snicker, punching each other, and Esme gives Edward a reproving look.

"I hope you haven't been showing off," she scolds. I raise my eyebrows in amusement, turning to Edward. He throws me a warning look, but as always, it has no effect. I continue to smirk in his direction, reveling in his embarrassment at getting told off.

"Just a bit," says Edward, laughing a little too freely as he looks from Esme back to me. Esme's face softens at the sound, and I catch them share a brief look. Esme's face almost seems smug, and I wonder what she's so happy about.

"Well, play for her," Esme encourages. Emmett rolls his eyes and starts backing out of the room.

"And that's my cue to leave," says Emmett, disappearing as the last word leaves his mouth. I turn to Edward, my eyebrows raised.

"You can't be that bad?"

"He's that good," Alice pipes up. She smiles mischievously. "Emmett tried to learn once. He gave up after three and a half minutes."

I raise my eyebrows again, impressed. "I'd like to hear you play, Edward."

"It's settled then." Esme pushes Edward toward the piano. He pulls me along, sitting me on the bench beside him.

"Thanks a lot," he mutters to me. I smile as sweetly as I can before thinking, 'No problem, Tinkerbell.' That one earns me a real look.

He continues to glare at me for a pretty long time before turning to the keys. And then he starts playing. I want to flip the piano over in frustration. He's amazing. The song is so complex and luxuriant that it's impossible to believe only one set of hands are playing. I feel my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment, and I hear low chuckles behind me at my reaction. I quickly close my mouth, not wanting to look like any more of a fool than I already do.

Edward looks at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break, and winks, to my surprise. "Do you like it?"

I gape as I understand the insinuation. "You wrote this?"

He nods. "It's Esme's favorite."

The music slows, transforming into something a little stronger, but with a surprising elegance to it. It reminds me of something that should be in a music box in a museum, not in a house in Forks. "You inspired this one," he says softly. I feel my face burn bright red, and I look down at the ivory keys to avoid making awkward eye contact.

"They like you, you know," he says conversationally. "Esme and Emmett especially."

I glance behind me, but the huge room is empty now. "Where did they go?"

"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose."

"Aw," I say, slightly disappointed. His family is surprisingly interesting.

Edward glances at me, a smirk on his face. "I'm sorry, I'll try to be as interesting as I can."

"Don't act all hurt, you know I didn't mean it like that."

I fall silent, listening to the continuous sound of Edward's playing. It's not long, though, before my mind takes over. 'Why doesn't Rosalie like me?'

Edward sighs deeply. "Rosalie struggles the most with… with what we are. It's hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she's a little jealous."

I scoff. "Of what, my dashing good looks?"

Edward hides a smirk. "You're human. She wishes that she were, too."

"Oh," I mutter. I guess that makes sense… sort of. I still wouldn't mind looking so drop dead gorgeous. 'Jasper, though…' I think.

"He kept his distance because I made him," Edward says, grimacing sheepishly. "I guess that's my fault."

'Esme and Carlisle?'

"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn't care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she's been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing, that I was too young when Carlisle changed me… she's ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction."

I snicker to myself. "If only she knew a third eye and webbed feet would be a step up from me."

Edward grins at me. "If only."

"I like Alice," I say suddenly. "She's very… real."

"Alice has her own way of looking at things," Edward says through tight lips. I'm surprised to see him look so angry when talking about his favorite sister.

"And you aren't going to explain that, are you?"

A moment of wordless communication passes between us. 'I know you're keeping something from me,' I think. 'And I know you aren't going to give anything away. Not now. But I will ask, you know that, don't you?'

Edward sighs, and then nods almost imperceptibly. I pause before speaking aloud. "So what was Carlisle telling you before? Or thinking to you?"

His eyebrows pull together. "You noticed that, did you?"

I shrug. "I notice everything."

He looks at me thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering. "He wanted to tell me some news – he didn't know if it was something I'd share with you."

"But you're going to tell me, of course."

"I think I have to, because I'm going to be a little… overbearingly protective over the next few days – or weeks – and I wouldn't want you to think I'm a creep," Edward gives me an amused look.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want that," I say dryly. "But continue. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we're here, and they're curious."

"Alice sees…" I pause, mulling that over. I know Jasper has an ability like Edward does; he can control emotions. From the way Edward is wording this, Alice can… see the future?

Edward nods, impressed. "Good."

"What… visitors?" I ask, frowning.

"They're like us… but not in their hunting habits. They probably won't come into town at all, but I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight until they're gone."

My frown deepens. "What about the rest of the town?"

Edward glances sideways at me, his expression cautious. He suddenly stops playing, his hands lifting off the keys. "Do you want to see the rest of the house?"

I open my mouth to protest to his dodging my question, but I decide against it. I don't want to start a fight while we're in his house. Instead, I think about what the rest of his house could look like. "Are there any coffins?"

Edward laughs, taking my hand, leading me away from the piano. "No coffins."

"Dammit."

* * *

Ugh. Plot. It's sort of necessary to avoid holes in the story, but I promise the next chapters will stray from the original plot again.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :)


	18. Chapter 18

To my dismay, Edward was serious. There isn't a single coffin in the house. And to my surprise, it's very well lit. No brooding in dark corners for the Cullens, apparently. At least not at home. And there isn't a single cobweb. I don't know if this disappoints me or just irritates me. Why do they have to be so perfect?

"It's in my nature," says Edward sarcastically as we ascend the wide staircase. I sigh exasperatedly; there's no point in telling him to stop invading my thoughts. He grins. "That's the spirit."

"Oh, shut up," I say. "Aren't you supposed to be acting like a good host?"

"I am," he replies, widening his eyes innocently. He gives me a light shove as we reach the top of the stairs, and I shove him back as hard as I can. My eyebrows furrow together as he doesn't even budge.

"Rosalie and Emmett's room… Carlisle's office… Alice's room…" Edward gestures as he leads me past the doors. He would have continued, but I stop dead at the end of the hall, staring incredulously at the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward chuckles at my bewildered expression.

"You can laugh," he says. "It's sort of ironic."

"Ironic doesn't even begin to…" I trail off, staring up at the large wooden cross. "It must be centuries old."

Edward shrugs. "Early sixteen-thirties, more or less."

"Ah," I say, trying to look unimpressed. I fail miserably. Edward hides a smirk as he leads me to the last door in the hall.

"My room," he informs me, opening it and pulling me through. My mouth drops open when I see what Edward gets to come home to everyday.

His room faces south, with a wall-sized window like the big room below. The whole backside of the house must be glass. His view looks down on the winding river, across the untouched forest to the Olympic Mountain range. The western wall is completely covered with shelf after shelf of CDs. His room is better stocked than a music store. In the corner is a sophisticated-looking sound system, the kind that I wouldn't dare touch because I'm sure I'd break something. There's no bed (surprise surprise), only a wide and inviting black leather sofa. The floor is covered with a thick golden carpet that makes me want to lie down and roll it in, and the walls are hung with heavy fabric in a slightly darker shade.

"You can roll around in it if you want," says Edward, smirking. "I don't mind."

I throw him a glare. He snickers to himself before picking up a remote and turning the stereo on. It's quiet, but the soft jazz number sounds like the band is in the room with us. I fight the urge to rip out his sound system and take it home with me.

Instead, I go over to his mind-boggling music collection. "How do you have these organized?"

"Ummm, by year, and then by personal preference within that frame," Edward says absentmindedly. I turn around to find that he isn't paying attention; he's looking at me with a peculiar expression in his eyes.

"What?"

"I was prepared to feel… relieved. Having someone else know about everything, not having to keep secrets. But I didn't expect to feel more than that. I like it. It makes me… happy." He shrugs, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad," I say, smiling back. "Any time you feel like spilling your deepest, darkest secrets, you can come right to me."

Edward rolls his eyes. "You really know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

I curtsey exaggeratedly. "I try my best."

I turn to face the large window, looking out at the breathtaking view. I'm honestly surprised to find that I'm not running and screaming. The Cullens are… normal. More than normal. They aren't scary at all. I glance over at Edward. 'Sorry to burst your bubble, Eddie,' I think. 'But I think you may be the least scary of your family. Including Alice and Esme.'

Edward stops, and then raises his eyebrows in blatant disbelief. I snicker, getting the feeling that he's genuinely offended by that. Then he flashes a wide, wicked smile. "You really shouldn't have said that."

A sudden growl fills the room, the kind of sound that rips through the back of an animal's throat. I look around in shock before I realize that the sound is coming from Edward. His lips curl back against his abnormally straight teeth, and his body shifts suddenly, half-crouched, tensed like a… like a mountain lion. I whirl around, looking for a crowbar, but the extremely useful device isn't anywhere to be found in Edward's room.

I don't see him leap at me – it's much too fast. I only find myself suddenly airborne, and then we crash onto the sofa. But it doesn't stop there. The sofa topples backwards and we roll out until we're splayed on the carpet beside the window wall. I grumble to myself, taking the opportunity to feel the soft, silky carpet.

"Stop fondling my carpet."

I flip around to glare at him. "What was that for?"

He flashes his fangs at me. "You were saying?"

"That you are a terrifying monster and I'm going to gather the town to form a mob," I say, my sarcasm marred a bit by my breathless voice. "I'll bring the pitchforks."

"Much better," he approves.

I stretch out, groaning. "I think you broke my back, you bastard."

When I turn back to continue complaining about what an asshole he is, I find that he's only an inch away from my face. I can finally see that he isn't, in fact, wearing mascara; it's natural. I scrunch my nose in disappointment. Edward rolls his eyes.

"Can you try and stop your thoughts for a few seconds?" he asks quietly, moving closer. "I'm trying to kiss you."

I freeze. Oh shit. How do you kiss a vampire? Do I turn my head to the left, or to the right? Left, probably, isn't that like the more supernatural side of a person? You know, throw the salt over your left shoulder? And where do I put my hands? They're still feeling up the carpet.

"Jessica," Edward grumbles. He's now only a hair's breadth away, close enough that I can smell his cologne – sorry, his **natural** scent. He growls. "Shut. Up."

With great effort, I manage to get my mind to stop thinking. Edward sighs in relief before leaning in to close the gap, just as –

"Can we come in?"

I scramble away from him and I hit the glass wall with a sickening slam. We both sit up – I'm still rubbing my backside – to find Alice standing in the doorway, Jasper close behind her. My face is flaming, both at the prospect of being caught and that I slammed into the wall, but Edward seems perfectly at ease.

"Go ahead." Edward's still laughing quietly at my reaction.

Alice seems to find nothing unusual with the fact that I just threw myself into the wall; she walks – practically dances – to the center of the room, where she folds herself sinuously onto the floor. Jasper, however, pauses at the door, his expression a trifle shocked. He stares at Edward's face, and I wonder if he's tasting the atmosphere with his unusual sensitivity.

"It sounded like you were having Jessica for lunch, and we came to see if you would share," Alice announces, her eyes sparkling as she winks at me. I raise my eyebrows at Edward, who's grinning.

"Sorry, I don't believe I have enough to spare," he replies, pulling me into a seated headlock. I squirm in protest, swinging blindly at him until he releases me. I try to pull away again, but his arm's now locked around my waist. Awk-ward.

"Actually," Jasper says, smiling despite himself as he walks into the room. "Alice says the storm's coming a lot sooner than we thought, and Emmett wants to play ball."

Play ball. Now there's some terminology I understand. Edward's eyes light up, but he hesitates.

"Of course you should bring Jessica," Alice chirps. "She's going to burn you alive if you don't. Trust me, I know."

"Do you want to go?" Edward asks me, excited, his expression vivid. I raise an eyebrow at him, silently questioning if he's **really** asking me that. He pauses before turning to Alice. "Yeah, we're game."

"We have to wait for thunder to play ball – you'll see why," says Jasper, addressing me for the first time since I first arrived at the house. "Though you might need an umbrella… will she, Alice?"

"No." She's positive. "The storm will hit over town. It should be dry enough in the clearing."

"Good, then." The enthusiasm in Jasper's voice is catching, naturally. I find myself feeling more eager than I've ever been about baseball.

"Let's go see if Carlisle will come." Alice bounds up and to the door in a blur. Jasper rolls his eyes.

"Like you don't know."

They disappear within seconds, and Jasper manages to inconspicuously close the door behind them. I turn to Edward. "I didn't know you play baseball."

"It's the American pastime," he says with mock solemnity.

* * *

Alice offers to lend me a jersey, but one withering look from me tells her that anything of hers isn't going to fit me. She snatches one of Esme's jerseys instead, tossing it at me with a grin. I change quickly in Edward's room and throw my purple shirt on his now upright sofa; he needs decoration, anyways.

"Edward wants you to ride with him," Alice says as I come out of the room, looking somewhat disappointed. I glance out the window and nearly have a heart attack when I see what he's standing beside. There, beside the silver Volvo, is a monster Jeep. Its tires are higher than my waist. There are metal guards over the headlights and taillights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar. The hardtop is shiny red.

"Where are we going, again?" I ask weakly. Alice grins at me and pushes me out the door.

"Go on!" she calls from the door as I walk out into the foggy air. "We'll catch up with you two. Trust me."

I've come to realize that when Alice says 'trust me', I should trust her. So I walk out to stand beside Edward and stare up at the Jeep. "So is this another one of your crazy hobbies?"

"It's Emmett's, actually," he explains.

"Ah."

He pulls the door open. I gauge the distance to the seat, dusting my hands off on my jeans. He makes a move to help me, but I throw him a glare. He steps back, raising his hands in surrender. With one jump (thank you, volleyball), I'm in the Jeep. I grin down at Edward, who raises his eyebrows, impressed.

"What's all this?" I ask, pulling at all the buckles on the seatbelt. He jumps up to crouch in the doorway of the Jeep.

"It's an off-roading harness," he says, reaching out to buckle me in. I watch in awe as he snaps together the multiple buckles.

"At least I won't die from a car crash."

Edward's in the driver seat within seconds. I glance over at him, slightly jealous at how comfortable he looks in his seat. "Do you want help with your seat belt?" I ask, grinning sarcastically. He rolls his eyes at me.

"I don't wear a seat belt."

"Ooh," I hold my hands up. "Bad-ass alert."

Edward rolls his eyes again before turning to face me. Though he doesn't make a single move, I know exactly why he hasn't started the car yet. A Cheshire-cat grin spreads over his face, confirming my thoughts. I look around for an excuse, though I don't know why. "I… I think your family's watching us."

"They aren't," says Edward simply, leaning forward. I take a deep breath and don't let it out, watching his every moment with wide eyes. He reaches out, his hands just barely tangling in my hair, before –

"HEY!"

We both turn around to find Emmett poking his head out of a Land Rover behind us. Edward swears under his breath, much to my surprise. Emmett waves exaggeratedly at us. "Are we going to play ball, or are you going to make out for the rest of the afternoon?"

Edward grumbles to himself as he turns the key in the ignition, pulling out of the driveway. I turn to him, assessing his frustrated expression. "I know how you feel."

He raises his eyebrows in confusion. I raise mine right back at him. "I **do** have to deal with you every day."

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! There's two days left of everyday updating, by the way. After January 2nd, I'll probably be updating about once a week


	19. Chapter 19

To my surprise, Edward stops the Jeep in a bumpy side street in front of a fence that blocked off a major part of the forest. I try to see past the trees, but my view's obscured by more trees. I turn to Edward, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "We're stopping here?"

"Yeah, we're going to have to go on foot from here."

I shrug, moving to undo my seatbelt. "I don't mind hiking."

Edward's mouth quivers like he's remembering some inside joke. "We're going to be running."

"Through the forest?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. "Are you seriously that eager to play?"

"Let me clarify," says Edward, hopping out of the Jeep. He disappears and reappears on the other side, pulling my door open. "**I'll** be running. **You'll** be on my back."

I burst out laughing as I jump out of the Jeep, ignoring the stinging sensation in my feet. It's only when I catch the expression on his face that I stop. "… Oh. You aren't joking."

"Don't worry," Edward's using that calming voice, the one he uses when he wants something. I narrow my eyes. "It'll be fun."

He takes a step forward, arms outstretched as if he's going to throw me over his back, and I take a huge step back.

"I dove off the cliff in La Push because I thought it would be fun," I say, holding my hands up. "It wasn't."

"You dove off – " Edward stops himself, shaking his head. "Never mind, I don't know why I'm surprised. Come on, Jess, it'll be fine."

"No, thanks," I say, turning around to face the forest, surveying the thickness of the trees. "It shouldn't be too hard to hike – "

Before I can finish my sentence, the wind is knocked out of me as Edward literally throws me over his back. I can tell that he's trying to be careful, but it doesn't work. I let out a screech, like I've just been shot, but he just laughs. "Don't forget to close your eyes."

"Why – "

But I don't need to finish that question. Edward leaps into the trees and the mere sight of the leaves whipping past us sends my head spinning. I quickly tuck my face into his shoulder blade, under my own arm, and squeeze my eyes shut. My stomach clenches uncomfortably, and I hum a lullaby to my breakfast, praying that it stays down.

I don't realize that we've stopped until Edward tugs at my hair. "It's over, Jessica."

I dare to open my eyes, and, sure enough, the trees have stopped moving. I unlock my stranglehold on his neck and slip to the ground, landing on my back. I hit the wet ground with a thud, and I roll over into fetal position, locking my arms around my knees. I hear Edward break into a roar of laughter, but I ignore him, muttering to myself.

When the dizziness finally lessens, I pick myself back up and start to brush the mud and bracken off the back of Esme's jersey, swearing under my breath. That only makes him laugh harder. Annoyed, I begin to stride off into the forest.

Edward catches up with me before I've taken two full steps. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you," I snap, tilting my nose up to the sky. "I'd much prefer your family's company to yours."

"You're going the wrong way."

I turn around without missing a beat, swerving around him, and I stalk off in the opposite direction. He catches up with me again, trying desperately to hide a grin. "Don't be mad, I couldn't help myself. You should have seen your face."

"Shut up," I growl, walking faster.

"I'm guessing you're still mad."

I don't reply as I continue to stomp through the forest, but I'm stopped in my tracks when I suddenly step out into an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks. It's twice the size of any baseball stadium I've ever seen. I can see the others all there; Esme, Emmett and Rosalie (unfortunately), sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, are the closest to us, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I can see Jasper and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to throw something back and forth, but I don't see a ball. It looks like Carlisle is marking bases, but can they really be that far apart?

Edward joins me and tugs me further into the clearing, so that we're in view. The three on the rocks rise; Esme starts toward us. Emmett follows after a long look at Rosalie's back; Rosalie's striding off toward the field without a glance in our direction. I choke back a snicker; she reminds me so much of a Persian cat. Edward, however, laughs aloud before leaning in to whisper to me. "That's the most accurate comparison you've come up with so far."

I start to grin before I remember that I'm pissed at him. Esme smiles at us as she approaches. "Was that you we heard, Edward?"

"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett clarifies, winking in my direction. I hide a smile of my own as Edward glares at him, and I decide that I like Emmett.

"Sounds like you," I address Edward, blinking innocently. He swipes for me, but I somehow manage to dodge out of the way. I see Emmett raise his eyebrows, impressed.

"Jessica was being unintentionally funny," Edward says, quickly settling the score. I stick my tongue out at him despite the fact that I'm probably revealing my inner five year old.

Alice has left her position, and she's running toward us. She hurtles to a fluid stop at our feet. "It's time," she announces, her eyes sparkling almost maniacally. It's the look I have in my eyes before a spike in volleyball – aka, it's intense.

As soon as the words leave her mouth, a deep rumble of thunder shakes the forest beyond us, and then crashes westward toward town.

"Eerie, isn't is?" Emmett says with easy familiarity, waggling his eyebrows at me. I get the feeling he's trying to make me uncomfortable, just to see how far he can go with me. I shrug back nonchalantly.

"Typical Forks."

Emmett opens his mouth to protest, but Alice reaches out and grabs Emmett's hand. "Let's go."

They dart toward the oversized field, leaving Edward, Esme and I standing at the edge of the forest. Edward turns to me, his eyes bright and eager. "Are you ready for some ball?"

I wave my hands around, cheerleader-style. "Go team!"

He snickers at my sarcastic tone and, after mussing my hair to piss me off, bounds after the other two. He reminds me of a cheetah as he mauls into Emmett, who's pushed down to the ground. I'm struck by how badly I want to be able to run like that; he looks so graceful. Once again, I get the urge to sign him up for a few ballet classes. Edward turns around and glares at me from across the field, hearing my thoughts. I grin at him. 'Don't worry, male ballet dancers are hot.'

"Shall we go down?" Esme asks softly. I jump slightly; she's so quiet that I forgot she was there. I quickly reassemble my expression and nod. Esme keeps a few feet between us, and I wonder if she's still trying not to scare me. She matches her stride to mine without seeming impatient at the pace like Edward usually does.

"You don't play with them?" I ask, my eyes trained on Edward, who's now in a scuffle with Emmett.

"No, I prefer to referee – I like keeping them honest," she explains.

I laugh. "Do they like to cheat, then?"

"Oh yes – you should hear the arguments they get into! Actually I hope you don't, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves."

"That's funny, my mom usually says something similar about me," I say, grinning. Esme laughs.

"Well, I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts – did Edward tell you I had lost a child?"

"No," I say quietly, stunned, scrambling to understand what lifetime she was remembering.

"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing," she sighs. "It broke my heart – that's why I jumped off the cliff, you know," she adds matter-of-factly.

I pause, taking a few more steps before speaking again. "My mom lost her child, too. The second one, the baby she had with Lucas – my stepdad."

I can feel Esme's eyes on me; she wasn't expecting that. I continue anyways. "I was too young to understand what had happened, but she was depressed for a pretty long time. I was ecstatic when Lucas asked Mom to marry him, and Mom still thinks it's because I'm such an understanding daughter. But it's because I know that the only thing that keeps her sane is Lucas."

Esme's at a loss for words, and I can tell that this isn't natural for her. I look out on the field and I see Carlisle looking at us – particularly at Esme. "It's like that for you with Carlisle, isn't it?" I ask. Esme starts slightly and looks at me as I continue. "I can tell by the way he looks at you – and the way you look at him. And now I probably sound really cheesy, but it's because I notice it with my mom and Lucas."

I glance over at Esme to find that she's looking at me in a whole different way, like I've suddenly sprouted wings and a halo. Her face breaks into a warm smile. "I'm so happy Edward's found you, Jessica."

I feel my face burn bright red; I definitely spilled too much information. "You don't mind, then?" I ask hesitantly, willing my face to go back to its usual color. "That I'm… all wrong for him?"

"No." She's thoughtful. "You're what he wants. It'll work out, somehow," she says, though her forehead creases with worry. Another peal of thunder begins, almost ominously.

Esme stops then; apparently, we've reached the edge of the makeshift field. It looks as if they've formed teams. Edward's far out in left field, Carlisle stands between the first and second bases, and Alice holds the ball, positioned on the spot that must be the pitcher's mound.

Emmett's swinging an aluminum bat; it whistles almost untraceably through the air. He turns around to face us as we approach, and he holds out the bat at me. "Wanna take a swing, Jessica?"

I instinctively reach for the bat, but even from across the field, I can see the gleam in Edward's eyes. This is exactly what he wants. I step back, narrowing my eyes at Edward before addressing Emmett. "Maybe later."

Emmett shrugs, spinning the bat in his hands. I wait for him to approach home plate, but then I realize, as he takes his stance, that he's already there – farther from the pitcher's mound than I would have thought possible. Jasper stands several feet behind him, catching for the other team. Of course, none of them have gloves.

"All right," Esme calls in a clear voice, which I know Edward will hear, as far out as he is. "Batter up."

Alice stands straight, deceptively motionless. Her style seems to be stealth rather than an intimidating windup. She holds the ball in both hands at her waist, and then, like the strike of a cobra, her right hand flicks out and the ball smacks into Jasper's hand.

"Strike," I mutter, watching as Jasper hurls the ball back to Alice's waiting hand. She permits herself a brief grin before her hand spins out again. This time the bat somehow made it around in time to smash into the invisible ball. The crack of the impact is shattering, thunderous; it echoes off the mountains. I immediately understand the necessity of the thunderstorm. "Holy crap."

"Yeah," says Esme, smiling almost sheepishly as she looks on proudly at the hit. The ball shoots like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest.

"That has to be a home run," I say, letting out a low whistle.

"Wait," Esme cautions, listening intently, one hand raised. Emmett's a blur around the bases, Carlisle shadowing him. I suddenly realize that Edward's gone MIA.

"Out!" Esme cries. I stare in disbelief as Edward springs from the fringe of the trees, ball in his upraised hand, his wide grin visible from across the field.

'There's no way he can avoid the dog analogies now,' I think, stifling a laugh. He bares his fangs at me, and I wave back cheerfully.

"Emmett hits the hardest," Esme explains, "but Edward runs the fastest."

The inning continues before my incredulous eyes. I vow to never believe that I'm an alright baseball player ever again. It's impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flies, the rate at which their bodies race around the field. I learn the other reason they waited for a thunderstorm to play when Jasper, trying to avoid Edward's annoyingly infallible fielding, hits a ground ball toward Carlisle. Carlisle runs into the ball, and then races Jasper to first base. When they collide, the sound is like the crash of two massive falling boulders. I jump in concern, but they're somehow unscathed.

"Safe," Esme calls in a calm voice.

Emmett's team is up by one – Rosalie manages to flit around the bases after tagging up on one of Emmett's long flies – when Edward catches the third out. He sprints to my side, sparkling – literally – with excitement.

"What do you think?" he asks, grinning.

"I think you did this on purpose," I say accusingly, watching the game with jealous eyes. "I'll never be able to play or watch regular baseball again."

"You could always play with us," says Edward, the corners of his mouth twitching. I roll my eyes at him.

"I am a little disappointed, though," I say, clucking my tongue. Edward raises his eyebrows, puzzled. "It would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet."

"Sarcasm," Edward points out. "You take the cake for that one."

"True."

"I'm up," says Edward, heading for the plate. He plays intelligently, keeping the ball low, out of the reach of Rosalie's always-ready hand in the outfield, gaining two bases like lightening before Emmett can get the ball back in play. Carlisle knocks one so far out of the field – with a boom so loud that I have to check my ears for bleeding – that he and Edward both make it in.

"Hey, Jessica, you wanna take that swing now?" calls Emmett as they switch sides again. I open my mouth to reply with a resounding no, but Edward beats me to it.

"Nah, I don't think she's up for the competition."

Esme snickers delicately as I grit my teeth. Dusting my hands on my jeans, I walk over to home plate and take the bat from an amused-looking Jasper. I take my stance and wait for Alice's lightning-fast pitch with bated breath. I see her wind up, and I know she's going a little easy on me. Just before the ball leaves her hand, something changes in her expression.

I swing as hard as I can, timing myself almost perfectly. A crack fills the air – not nearly as loud as the others', but pretty loud – and the ball goes flying into the forest. Edward flies off after it, and I sprint as fast as I can for first base. I make a move to stop there, but Emmett races back from second base and grabs me, heading for home.

I can hear Carlisle and Alice cry out in protest at Emmett's sneaky cheat, but wind is whipping so violently at my face that I can't laugh. Emmett manages to get us home just as the ball flies in, and Jasper catches it about a millisecond after we land. Edward gapes, momentarily confused, and a slow grin spreads over my face. Sucker. I high-five Emmett, ignoring the venomous look on Rosalie's face.

Suddenly, Alice gasps. My eyes are on Edward's slightly pouting face, and I see his head snap up to look at her. Their eyes meet and something flows between them in an instant. He's at my side before the others can ask Alice what's wrong.

"Alice?" Esme's voice is tense.

"I didn't see – I couldn't tell," she whispers. The others gather around her, looking concerned.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asks with the calm voice of authority.

Edward's grip tightens around me as she manages to get the word out. "Vampires."

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you guys like the story :)


	20. Chapter 20

I blink. "Um… Alice… aren't you guys vampires?"

Emmett snickers despite the seriousness of the situation. Alice turns to me, her already-wide eyes expanding to the size of saucers. "I mean vampires who drink human blood."

I feel a chill run up my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Edward is practically on top of me, arms wrapped all the way around my torso, trying to block me from sight with his body. Apparently I'm the only one who finds this strange, because no one else is giving him the 'are you okay?' look like I am.

Jasper leans over Alice, his posture somewhat like Edward's but respecting her personal bubble a little more. "What changed?" He asks.

"They heard us playing, and it changed their path," she says, contrite, as if she feels responsible for it. Seven pairs of quick eyes flash to my face and away before they think I can notice.

"How soon?" Carlisle asks, turning toward Edward. A look of intense concentration crosses his face.

"Less than five minutes. They're running – they want to play." He scowls. I raise my eyebrows, wondering if baseball is something all vampires have an obsession with. Edward's eyes flash down to mine. "Most of them."

"I told you this was a bad idea," Rosalie hisses furiously. "If something goes wrong, it's going to be on **our **hands."

"Can you make it?" Carlisle asks Edward before he can reply, his eyes flicking toward me again. I catch a worried look on his face, and I find that strange chill running down my back again. The way the Cullens are acting, I'm genuinely afraid that these vampires are going to storm in and demand that they share my blood. Edward's grip tightens around me as soon as the thought forms.

"No, not carrying – " He cuts short. "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."

Oh shit. They're talking about me.

"How many?" Emmett asks Alice.

"Three," she answers tersely. I frown; the Cullens definitely outnumber three.

"Three!" Emmett scoffs, mirroring my thoughts. "Let them come." The steel bands of muscle flex along his massive arms, and I find myself cringing, feeling kind of bad for these vampires. For a split second that seems much longer than it really is, Carlisle deliberates. Only Emmett seems unpertubed; the rest stare at Carlisle's face with anxious eyes.

"Let's just continue the game," Carlisle finally decides. His voice is cool and level. "Alice said they were simply curious."

All this is said in a flurry of words that last only a few seconds. Since I'm listening carefully, I catch most of it, though I can't hear what Esme now asks Edward with a silent vibration of her lips. I only see the slight shake of his head and the look of relief on her face.

"You catch, Esme," Edward says. "I'll call it now."

And he takes a step in front of me, ignoring the rolling of my eyes. The others return to the field, warily sweeping the dark forest with their sharp eyes. Alice and Esme seem to orient themselves around where I stand.

"Take your hair down," Edward says in a low, even voice. I frown.

"Wouldn't that make it worse? What if the wind blows it around and they smell it?"

"For once, Jessica, can you just do what I say?" Edward hisses through his teeth, his eyes glinting. I fold my arms across my chest, hesitating. I know how these winds work; I know I'm right. Sighing exasperatedly, Edward reaches over and slides the rubber band out of my hair, shaking it around me. I wonder for a split second if he's trying to lure them in. He shoots me a death glare.

"Stay very still, keep quiet, and please, don't move from my side," Edward hides the stress from his voice well, but I can hear it. He pulls my hair forward, around my face.

"That won't help," Alice says softly. "I could smell her across the field."

"I know." A hint of frustration colors his tone. My eyebrows furrow together.

'Well, ex-cuse me.' I think.

Edward, obviously not in the mood for my attitude, looks ahead at the game. Carlisle stands at the plate, and the others join the game halfheartedly.

"What did Esme ask you?" I whisper.

He hesitates a second before answering. "Whether they were thirsty," he mutters unwillingly.

The seconds tick by; the game progresses with apathy now. No one dares to hit harder than a bunt, and Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper hover in the infield. Now and again, I'm aware of Rosalie's eyes on me. They're expressionless, but something about the way she holds her mouth makes me think she's angry. And to my own surprise, I understand why. By being there, I've put her family in danger. And Edward's known me for about two months at the most. If I was in her place, I'd be doing a lot more than glaring.

"Don't," Edward mutters, his eyes never leaving the forest. I glance up at him questioningly. "Don't think that. None of this is your fault; it's mine. It was stupid to expose you like this, and – "

His breath stops, and his eyes zero in on the right field. He takes half a step, angling himself between me and what was coming. Carlisle, Emmett and the others turn in the same direction, hearing the sounds of passage much too faint for my ordinary human ears.

They emerge one by one from the forest edge, ranging a dozen meters apart. The first male into the clearing falls back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark-haired man in a manner that clearly displays who leads the pack. The third is a woman; from this distance, all I can see of her is that her hair is a startling shade of red.

They close ranks before they continue cautiously toward the Cullens, reminding me eerily of the hyenas in the Lion King. I pray that I'm not Simba in this situation – or even worse, a zebra. As they approach, I can see how different they are from the Cullens. Their walk is catlike, and they're dressed in backpacker gear unlike the Cullens' designer attire. Their clothes are frayed, though, with wear, and they're barefoot. One of the men has cropped hair, but the other man and the woman's hair is filled with leaves and debris from the woods.

Their sharp eyes carefully take in the more polished stance of Carlisle, who, flanked by Emmett and Jasper, steps guardedly forward to meet them. Without any seeming communication between them, they each straighten into a more casual, erect bearing.

The leader is easily the most beautiful, his skin dark-toned beneath the typical pallor, his hair braided in dreadlocks that I, for some reason, find myself envying. Jasper starts slightly, catching my feelings, and glances back at me incredulously. I avoid his eyes, feeling the blush rising on my cheeks. I look instead at the woman, who's wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between the men facing her. Her posture is distinctly feline, and her chaotic hair is quivering in the slight breeze. The second man hovers unobtrusively behind them, slighter than the leader, his light brown hair and perfect features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, make the chills return. He seems the most vigilant of the three. Their eyes are different, too. Not the gold or black I've come to expect, but a deep burgundy color that's both disturbing and intriguing. The dark-haired man steps toward Carlisle, smiling easily.

"We thought we heard a game," he says in a relaxed voice with the slightest of French accents. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestures to the vampires behind him.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Jessica." He points us out in groups, deliberately not calling attention to individuals. I feel a shock when he says my name.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asks sociably.

Carlisle matches Laurent's friendly tone. "Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?"

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."

The tense atmosphere slowly subsides into casual conversation; I guess that Jasper's using his peculiar gift to control the situation. I'm well aware that Jasper's using it on me as well, subsiding whatever fear I should be feeling.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent casually inquires. I wonder if he knows that the Cullens are 'vegetarian'; Edward's tightening grip tells me that the answer is no.

Carlisle ignores the assumption behind the inquiry. "The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

"Permanent?" asks Laurent, honest curiosity in his voice. "How do you manage that?"

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?" Carlisle invites. "It's a rather long story."

James and Victoria exchange a surprised look at the mention of the word "home" ('Like strays,' I think), but Laurent controls his expression better.

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome." His smile is genial. "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." His eyes move appreciatively over Carlisle's refined appearance.

"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us – Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Jessica to get the Jeep," Carlisle says casually.

Three things seem to happen simultaneously while Carlisle's speaking. My hair ruffles with the light breeze, Edward stiffens, and the second male, James, suddenly whips his head around, scrutinizing me, his nostrils flaring like Mr. Blume's. I watch in horror as his expression settles into a feral – and rather creepy – grin.

I let out a shaky breath, unable to look away from James' hungry expression. "Shit."

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This is the last daily update, but I'll be updating around once a week. OH! And to Dana1290, I'm not sure yet. I'll decide when I finish this one :)


	21. Chapter 21

James' smirk only widens at my horrorstruck expression. A swift rigidity falls on the field as James lurches a step forward into a crouch. Edward bares his teeth (and I'm too terrified to laugh), crouching in defense, a feral snarl ripping from his throat. It's nothing like the spoiled cat noises he made this morning; it's more like…

No, I have to stop with the lion analogies. This is getting ridiculous.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaims in open surprise. Neither James nor Edward relax their aggressive poses. James feints slightly to the side, and Edward shifts in response.

"She's with us." Carlisle's firm rebuff is directed toward James. Laurent seems to catch my scent less powerfully than James, but awareness now dawns on his face.

"You brought a snack?" he asks, his expression incredulous as he takes an involuntary step forward. My mouth drops open in outrage, but before I can retort, I get a sudden urge to swallow my own tongue. I frown for a second before catching Jasper's eye; he's shaking his head almost imperceptibly at me, and I realize that he's doing his weird mood thing.

Meanwhile, Edward's snarling even more ferociously, his lip curling high above his glistening, bared teeth. Laurent steps back again.

"I said she's with us," Carlisle corrects in a hard voice.

"But she's human," Laurent protests. The words aren't at all aggressive, merely astounded. I bite back another sarcastic retort.

"Yes." Emmett's right at Carlisle's side, his eyes on James. James slowly straightens out of his crouch, but his eyes never leave mine, his nostrils still wide enough to fit grapes. Edward stays tense in front of me like he's Lily and I'm Harry Potter.

When Laurent speaks, his tone is soothing – trying to defuse the sudden hostility. I recognize this because it's something Angela does every time something rude slips out of my mouth. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed." Carlisle's voice is still cool.

"But we'd like to accept your invitation." His eyes flick toward me and back to Carlisle. "And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said."

James glances in disbelief and aggravation at Laurent and exchanges another brief look with Victoria, whose eyes are still flickering edgily from face to face. Carlisle measures Laurent's open expression for a moment before he speaks.

"We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" he calls. They gather together, blocking me from view as they converge. Alice is instantly at my side, and Emmett falls back slowly, his eyes locked dangerously on James as he backs toward us.

"Let's go, Jessica." Edward's voice is low and bleak.

This whole time I've been rooted in place without knowing it. Edward has to grab me by my shoulders and shake me to break my trance. Alice and Emmett are close behind us, hiding me from view. I can't help but think that it's a little excessive, but the look on Edward's face tells me that I'm very, very wrong. Edward practically drags me across the field, and his impatience is almost tangible as we approach the forest edge.

Once we're into the trees, Edward slings me over his back like I'm a bag full of textbooks instead of a 125 pound girl. I let out a rather manly groan of protest, and I catch an amused grin on Emmett's face. I grip as tightly as possible as Edward takes off, the others close at his heels. I keep my head down, but my eyes refuse to close. They plunge through the now-black forest, and the sense of exhilaration that usually seems to possess Edward as he runs is completely absent. He now seems furious, as though that's the only thing that's driving him to run faster. Even with me on his back, the others trail behind. We reach the Jeep in an impossibly short time, and Edward barely slows as he practically flings me in the backseat.

"Strap her in," he orders Emmett, who slides in beside me. Alice is already in the front seat, and Edward's starting the engine. It roars to life and we swerve backward, spinning around to face the winding road. I resist the inappropriate urge to laugh out loud as I catch Edward growling something too fast for me to understand, but it sounds like a string of profanities. Emmett's buckling me in like I'm a five year old in a car seat, and I look out the window to avoid the embarrassment.

It's pitch dark outside now, and I feel like I'm in a horror movie. I hope that I'm not the dumbass girl who dies first – you know, the one who goes "Hello? Is anyone there?" and opens the door that's obviously closed for a reason – as the Jeep speeds down the bumpy road. Emmett and Alice are now both glaring out the side windows, so I follow suit and glare out mine.

We hit the main road, and though our speed's increased, I can see much better where we're going. And we're headed south, away from Forks.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

No one answers. No one even looks at me. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my inner Hulk, but I can already feel it bubbling out.

"For balls' sake, Edward, where the hell are you taking me?" I growl, kicking the front seat. I see Emmett lunge forward in protest, but my shoe has already made a mark on the seat. I grimace in an apology, and he sighs dolefully in acceptance.

"We have to get you away from here – far away – now." Edward doesn't even look back, his eyes on the road. The speedometer reads a hundred and five miles an hour, and my stomach churns uncomfortably – but I'm too distracted to care.

"Turn around! You have to take me home!" I shout. I struggle with the stupid harness, tearing blindly at the straps.

"Emmett," Edward says grimly.

"Sorry, Jess," Emmett mutters before securing my hands in his steely grasp. My mouth drops open in outrage.

"Y-you can't do this! This is kidnap!"

"I have to, Jessica, now please be quiet."

"You shut up!" I spit bitterly. "You have to take me back – my mom and Lucas will call the FBI, I know them. They'll be all over your family – Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, and they'll have to hide for the next century!"

"Calm down, Jessica." Edward's voice is cold. "We've been there before."

"Not over me, you don't! I'm not going to let you ruin everything over me!" I struggle violently against Emmett's grasp, who's now holding both my wrists with one hand.

Alice suddenly speaks for the first time. "Edward, pull over."

He flashes her a hard look, and then speeds up. I've never wanted to punch him so badly before – he refuses to even listen to what Alice has to say.

"Edward," Alice's voice is pleading. "Let's just talk this through."

"You don't understand," he roars in frustration. I've never heard his voice so loud; it's deafening in the confines of the Jeep. The speedometer nears one hundred and fifteen. "He's a tracker, Alice, did you see that? He's a tracker!"

I feel Emmett stiffen next to me, and I wonder at his reaction to the word. It obviously means more to the three of them than it does to me; I want to understand but there's no opening for me to ask.

"Pull over, Edward." Alice's tone is reasonable, but there's a ring of authority in it I've never heard before. The speedometer inches past one-twenty. "Do it, Edward."

"Edward, listen to her," I plead, wrapping my hands around my knees as the Jeep speeds up even more. He ignores me completely.

"Listen to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession – and he wants her, Alice – her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight."

'Fan-fucking-tastic,' I think, chills running down my spine. That doesn't sound good at all.

Alice sighs. "He doesn't know where – "

Edward interrupts her. "How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth."

I let out a strangled gasp, knowing where my scent would lead. "Mom! And Lucas! You can't just leave them there! EDWARD!"

"She's right," Alice says. The car slows slightly. "Let's just look at our options for a minute."

The car slows again, more noticeably, and then suddenly we screech to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. I start to let out a sigh of relief, but I fly against the harness and slam back into the seat from the impact of the stop.

"There are no options," Edward hisses. I start to kick the seat, but I stop when Emmett lunges forward again.

"I'm not leaving my parents!" I growl. Edward ignores me – again. Emmett glances at me, and I know he can see the rage on my face.

"We have to take her back." Emmett finally speaks.

"No." Edward's voice is absolute.

"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't even be able to touch her."

"He'll wait."

Emmett grins. "I can wait, too."

"You didn't see – you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakable. We'd have to kill him."

Emmett, like me, didn't seem upset by the idea. "That's an option."

"And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too."

"There are enough of us!" Emmett protests.

"There's another option," Alice says quietly.

Edward turns on her in fury, his voice a blistering snarl. "THERE – IS – NO – OTHER – OPTION!"

Emmett and I both stare at him in shock, but Alice seems unsurprised. The silence lasts for a long minute as Edward and Alice stare each other down. I take a deep breath before breaking the silence. "Does anyone want to hear my plan?"

"No," Edward growls. I kiss my teeth in annoyance, and Alice glares at him, finally provoked.

"Listen," I hiss, trying to lean forward. "You take me back – "

"No," he interrupts.

"Can you shut your mouth for five seconds?" I snap. Emmett chokes back a snicker, and Edward throws him a glare. I take this opportunity to continue. "You take me back. I tell my mom I want to go visit my dads in Florida – I don't need to tell you about them, I'm sure you've already invaded my thoughts enough to know. I pack my bags. We wait until this assclown of a tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave my parents alone. My parents won't call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me to any damned place you want."

They stare at me, stunned.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Emmett's surprise is definitely an insult.

"It might work – and we simply can't leave her parents unprotected. You know that," Alice says. Everyone looks at Edward.

"It's too dangerous – I don't want him within a hundred miles of her."

Emmett's supremely confident. "Edward, he's not getting through us."

Alice thinks for a minute. "I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone."

"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen."

"Take me the fuck home, Edward." I say quietly. Edward presses his fingers to his temples and squeezes his eyes shut. I make a face. "Please."

He doesn't look up. When he speaks, his voice sounds worn. "You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell your parents that you're desperate to see your dads. Tell them whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your car. I don't care what they say to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep."

The Jeep rumbles to life, and he spins us around, the tires squealing. The needle on the speedometer starts to race up the dial.

"Emmett?" I ask. "I think I may have to amputate a few of these fingers if you don't let go."

Emmett looks down and realizes that he's still holding my wrists. "Oh, sorry."

I rub my wrists as we drive in silence. Then Edward speaks again. "This is how it's going to happen."

"Okay, mother," I grumble under my breath. Edward continues without missing a beat.

"When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I'll walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes." He glares at me in the rearview mirror, and I raise my eyebrows back at him. "Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get her car. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."

"No way," Emmett breaks in. "I'm with you."

"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you."

"What are we going to do with the Jeep?" Alice asks suddenly. Edward glances at her authoritatively.

"You're driving it home."

"No, I'm not," she says calmly. The unintelligible stream of profanities starts again.

"We can't all fit in my car," I whisper. Edward doesn't appear to hear me. "I think you should let me go alone."

He definitely heard that. "Jessica, please let me do this my way, just this once."

"What d'you mean, just this once?" I snarl. "Back there, on the field, if you just listened to me and kept my hair tied up, this all could've been avoided. You have to digest the fact that you – are – not – always – right. Listen to me, that tracker saw the way you acted tonight. He knows that you're with me, wherever you are."

Emmett looks at me, insultingly surprised again. "Edward, listen to her," he urges. "I think she's right."

"That's because she is," Alice and I say at the same time. Alice flashes me a tiny smile from the front seat.

"I can't do that," Edward's voice is icy.

"Emmett should stay, too," I continue. "He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett."

"Wait, what?" Emmett turns on me.

"You'll get a better crack at him if you stay," Alice agrees.  
Edward stares at her incredulously. "You think I should let her go alone?"  
"Of course not," Alice says. "Jasper and I will take her."  
"I can't do that," Edward repeats, but this time there's a trace of defeat in his voice.  
The logic is working on him. I try to be persuasive. "Hang out here for a week -" I see his expression in the  
mirror and amend "- a few days. Let the town see that you have nothing to do with my disappearance, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home."

I can see him beginning to consider it. "Meet you where?"

"Florida, you dumbass."

"No. He'll hear that's where you're going," Edward says impatiently.

"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I'm going."

"She's diabolical," Emmett chuckles.

"And if that doesn't work?"

"There are several million people in Florida," I point out.

"It's not that hard to find a phone book."

"I won't go home."

"Oh?" he inquires, a dangerous note in his voice. I raise my eyebrows.

"I'm quite old enough to get my own place."

"Edward, we'll be with her," Alice reminds him.

"What are you going to do in Florida?" he asks her scathingly.

"Stay indoors."

"I kind of like it." Emmett's thinking about cornering James, no doubt.

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt - she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone..." He trails off with a slow smile. I was right.

The Jeep is crawling slowly along now as we drive into town. Despite my brave talk, I can feel the hairs on my arms standing up. I think about my parents and try to be courageous.

"Jessica." Edward's voice is soft – to my surprise. I'd come to think that he wouldn't be quiet ever again. Alice and Emmett look out their windows. "If you let anything happen to yourself- anything at all - I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?"

"Really? Being responsible for myself?" I say sarcastically. "Gosh, that's so new!"

He turns to Alice, ignoring my jibe.

"Can Jasper handle this?"

"Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, very well, all things considered."

"Can you handle this?" he asks.

And graceful little Alice pulls back her lips in a horrific grimace and lets loose with a guttural snarl that has me cowering against the seat in terror. In this moment, I'd rather face James, Edward and Emmett combined into a super-monster than Alice alone.

Edward smiles at her, and I can see that he's beginning to calm down a bit. He catches my eye in the rearview mirror, and he gives me a look that says, 'I'm sorry.'

I muster all my sass and give him a look that screams, 'Fuck you.'

* * *

Hey again, everyone! I hope you enjoyed that update, because I don't think I'm going to be able to update again until the Saturday or Sunday after the next. Exam season is tough.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys are awesome :)


	22. Chapter 22

I can tell that my mom is pissed off from the moment we drive up to the house. All the house lights are off, which usually means that I screwed up to the extent that she doesn't care if I trip on the top step to the porch. My mind goes blank as I try to think of a way to make her let me go. The easiest explanation would be to tell her that I miss Dad, but would that cut it?

Edward pulls up slowly, staying well back from my car. All three of them are alert, sitting up straight in their seats, listening to every sound, looking through every shadow and catching every scent as they search for something out of place. I glance up at the porch and notice that one of Lucas's Wellington boots is slightly angled to the left, but I decide not to point this out to avoid a lifetime's worth of embarrassment.

"He's not here," Edward says tensely. "Let's go."

Emmett reaches over to help me out of the harness. "Don't worry, Jess," he says in a low but cheerful voice. "We'll take care of things here quickly."

"Worried?" I laugh shakily. "Who's worried?"

Emmett flashes me a grin as he undoes the last buckle, setting me free. I let out an exhale, finally able to breathe again. Before I can thank him, Edward's commanding voice cuts through the silence.

"Alice. Emmett."

They disappear before I can even see them move, slithering soundlessly into the darkness. Edward opens my door and lets me jump out before pulling me to him like a child does with a teddy bear. He walks me swiftly toward the house, never letting me out of his iron grip, his eyes roving through the night.

"Fifteen minutes," he warns under his breath. I resist the urge to snap back at him; fifteen minutes to tell my mom and Lucas that I don't want to live with them anymore? Before I can stop them, angry tears – the only kind I ever get – start streaming down my face. Edward glances down at me, concerned. "I know it's going to be difficult, but it's for their – and your – own good."

I don't even bother to shove his hand away as he swipes the tears away. We stop on the porch, in front of the door, standing in the darkness. I take a deep breath – my tears have given me an inspiration. "I've got this."

Edward nods slowly, and I know that since my idea hasn't fully formed yet, he has no clue what I've planned. Just to make it clear, I grab his face in my hands, ignoring the hilarious look of shock on his face. I look fiercely into his eyes, tightening my grip on his jaw line. "You may be the most annoying person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, but I love you, okay?"

Edward blinks. The surprise on his face is priceless, and if this was any other moment, I would pull out my phone and snap a picture in a heartbeat. He seems to be frozen to the spot, so I continue. "No matter what happens now, no matter what I say, just remember – "

Before I can finish, I'm cut off by a certain pair of ice-cold vampire lips – and it's my turn to look surprised. To my dismay, I can't stop my mind from live-reporting the event. 'Hey, this isn't half bad… okay, who am I kidding, this is much better than any make out session I've ever had. Definitely better than Tyler back in the seventh grade – oh no, I am **not** going to bring that back – Holy shit, was that tongue?'

Edward let out a disgruntled groan, pulling away with an exasperated expression on his face. "Must you always ruin the moment?"

I shrug, barely repressing a grin. "It's one of my specialties."

Edward's face breaks into a small smile for what feels like the first time in ages. It's only when I hear footsteps approaching the front door from inside the house that I remember what I have to do. I turn back to Edward and grab the front of his shirt, pulling him down so that he can hear my whisper. "Sorry about this, by the way."

The front door flies open as I slam Edward into one of the porch posts. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"

Mom's face is almost as priceless as Edward's was a few moments ago. She stumbles in the doorstep, not sure what to do, before turning around to holler back into the house. "LUCAS!"

I give Edward a private smirk before smashing him into the porch post again. He doesn't resist at all as his spine slams against the wood with a sickening thud. I ball my right hand into a fist and wind back, but before I can take a swing, someone grabs my arm.

"Jessica!" Lucas pulls me back, trying desperately to haul me into the house. I kick at Edward with my feet like a girl getting pulled out of a club on Jersey Shore (not that I watch it or anything). My mom scrambles out to help Lucas, and together they manage to drag me into the house and close the front door.

"Jessica – Jess – just calm down," Mom's shaking me by the shoulders, trying to pull me out of my faux rage. I swipe my hair out of my face, fully aware of the manic expression on my face. Mom looks at me with a concerned expression, and I know she's forgotten completely about the fact that I'm way past curfew. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" I screech, pulling away from Mom. I brush past Lucas, who's flattened against the wall in the hallway to stay out of my way. I begin to stomp up the stairs when Lucas speaks up.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

I'm planning on ignoring him (Edward's reputation is really not my problem) but what Mom says next makes my mouth drop open in disbelief.

"Lucas. If someone was getting hurt tonight, it was that poor boy. You didn't hurt him, did you, Jessica?"

"Mom!" I whirl around to glare at Mom. She shrugs almost sheepishly, but I can tell that she's waiting for an answer. I sigh, rolling my eyes. "No, Mom, I didn't. Though I should have."

Mom takes a tentative step forward, as if she's afraid that I'm going to bite her head off. "Why? What happened?"

"He – " I pause, trying to think of the worst thing Edward could do (besides draining me of all my blood). Mom seems to take this as my inability to speak, because she closes the distance between us.

"You can tell me, Jess. Don't worry."

I stare at Mom's forehead until my eyes start watering again. I struggle to keep a straight face as I choke out the words. "He cheated on me. With Bella."

"The Swan girl?" Lucas's eyebrows are raised so high that they're in danger of disappearing into his hairline. I nod, and I'm forced to cup my hands over my mouth to prevent the snort of laughter from escaping. Mom pulls me into a hug, stroking my hair comfortingly.

"Don't worry, honey, he wore too much eyeliner anyways."

Mom hears my snort of laughter that time, and she laughs with me. It's only then that I realize how much I don't want to leave. What am I going to do without my mother's hilarious commentary and Lucas's endearing cluelessness? I wonder if there's any way I could put my house in lockdown and hide from every vampire in Forks – including Edward.

"Jess, why don't we take a vacation?"

I blink. Did Mom just say what I think she said? "What?"

Mom looks down at me, surveying my expression. "You've just looked so drained lately. You need sunshine, or big city lights. We could all get out of Forks for a bit. Go to New York City, maybe? Or California?"

I can't believe my luck. I decide to go with it without wasting a second. "But you and Lucas have jobs, you can't just leave. Why don't I go stay with Dad in Florida for a bit?"

Mom's eyes widen with realization. "That's a great idea!"

"Great!" I chirp, turning on my heel. I know that I don't have much time left. "I'll go pack!"

"Right now?" asks Mom, frowning. "Shouldn't we call your father first?"

"Can you do it, Mom?" I call over my shoulder as I race into my room. I nearly scream when I realize that someone's already sitting on my bed. Edward shoots forward and covers my mouth, just in case, but I've already caught myself. He points to my rug, where he already has my suitcase wide open.

"When are you planning on going, Jess?" calls Mom, sounding wary. I poke my head out my door as Edward turns to my dresser, silently yanking out armfuls of random clothes.

"Tonight! Delaying these things is just asking for bad vibes, Mom. I'll drive to the airport myself so that my car's there for when I get back."

I turn around to find Edward trying to stuff my favorite silk blouse into my suitcase. I yank the shirt away from him and smack him over the head, grumbling silently. He rolls his eyes and grabs a few sweatshirts as I neatly fold my blouse and throw it into the suitcase.

"Jessica, are you sure you don't want to wait? It's nighttime, you're going to get lost."

I growl under my breath before poking my head out my door again. "I'll be fine, Mom! Aren't you going to call Dad?"

Mom looks nervous, and Lucas, who is standing behind her, looks positively bewildered. She hesitates for a few moments before turning around to grab the nearest telephone. I give Lucas two thumbs up, just so he doesn't get a heart attack, before disappearing around the doorframe again.

Edward tosses the fully-packed suitcase at me, and (thankfully) I catch it. He grabs my handbag off my chair and loops my arm through it. "I'll be in the car – go!" he whispers, and he pushes me toward the door before vanishing out the window.

I don't even bother to tilt the suitcase onto its wheels as I drag it down the stairs and into the foyer. I can feel Mom watching me hesitantly as I shove my feet into a pair of boots, but she doesn't make a move to stop me. I stand up straight, forcing myself to smile as widely as possible. "Alright! I'm off."

I throw the front door open before either Mom or Lucas can try to hug me or convince me to stay until morning. The bottom of my suitcase scrapes over the doorframe and against the porch as I continue to drag it out to my car. Mom still looks completely taken aback when I look back up at the door. "Drive safe, Jess!"

"Sure thing, Mom!" I reply, waving exaggeratedly. "Bye!"

I throw my suitcase into my trunk before sliding into the driver's seat. I try not to look back at Mom, Lucas and the house as I pull out of the driveway and into the road. I see something shift in my peripheral and I know that Edward's sitting in the passenger-side seat.

"Pull over," he says once we're far enough from the house. I throw him a look.

"I can handle driving."

Before I can stop him, he practically hauls me off the seat with vampire-speed and takes the wheel. The car doesn't swerve an inch. I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off. "You wouldn't be able to find the house," he explains.

Lights flare suddenly behind us. I stare out the back window, eyes wide with horror.

"It's just Alice," Edward reassures me. He reaches out to take my hand, and I let him take it – only because my hands are sweating and his are ice-cold. He throws me a look, catching my thoughts. I try to grin back at him, but my mouth refuses to smile.

"What about the tracker?" I ask. Edward's eyebrows pull together.

"He heard the end of your performance," he says grimly.

"Mom and Lucas?" I ask, dreading his reply.

"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now."

My body goes cold. The only thing that keeps me from freaking out completely is the thought that Mom and Lucas are safe. "Can we outrun him?"

"No." But Edward speeds up as he speaks. My car's engine whines in protest. I sink into my seat; my plan doesn't feel so brilliant anymore. I'm staring back at Alice's headlights through the side view mirror when Edward's head snaps up, his senses catching something mine doesn't.

Before I can ask what's wrong, the car shudders violently as something crashes down onto the hood.

* * *

Sorry for the delay, guys!

And to the anon who thought that maybe Edward's character was portrayed a little too strongly, I agree completely! But the dialogue I use for Edward is mostly straight from the book. I want to stay as true to his character as I can, and unfortunately, that's his character. If he seems harsh, it's only because Jessica isn't sitting by idly and letting things happen like Bella does.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I can't believe you guys like this story so much, but I appreciate it! :)


	23. Chapter 23

I curl up into fetal position as soon as I feel the crash, waiting for the roof to come caving in. When I don't feel my spine cracking into my stomach, however, I look up through the crook of my elbow. Edward's glancing sideways at me, a smirk on his face.

"It's Emmett."

I grumble under my breath, lifting my head out of my lap. Edward reaches over and pats my knee in (what he thinks is) a comforting way. "Don't worry, Jess. You're going to be safe."

"Not if there are goddamn vampires jumping all over my car," I mutter. I wait for Emmett to try and break his way into the car, but he doesn't. When I look at the side-view mirror, I find him clenching onto the hood, a look of exhilaration on his face. And for the first time in my life, in that moment, I can't help but feel a little jealous of the vampire. If I was to try and ride on the hood of a car, I would turn into a Stanley pancake within seconds. Not to mention the speed, heightened senses and utter gorgeousness.

The sparkling, though. That I could do without.

"You don't want that," says Edward quietly. I open my mouth to condemn him for invading my mental privacy, but he cuts me off. "It's not worth it."

"Maybe not to you," I reply, shrugging. His eyes dart over to meet mine, and I catch a murderous look in his eyes.

"Jessica, I'm serious," he says, his voice lowering like it does when he's being dramatic. "This life isn't one you want. It isn't one I want for you."

"O-one **you** want for me?" I sputter, my eyebrows rising. "Excuse me, but the last time I checked, this is my life we're talking – you know what, we are not having this conversation right now. There is a psychotic vampire on our tail, and I don't mean Emmett."

"I heard that!" Emmett's muffled voice comes through the roof. Edward jerks the steering wheel a few times, and I hear Emmett's cries of protest.

"Wait, so you aren't going to come to Florida with Jasper, Alice and me?" I ask, partially to distract Edward but mostly for my own curiosity.

"Not right away, no," says Edward, narrowing his eyes to see through the darkness. "But I'll be there in a few days."

I press my lips together, staying silent. I don't want him staying in Forks; he'll probably do something stupid and get his family – and himself – killed. And though I'd never admit it, I know that James doesn't stand a chance if Edward's around. And if Edward's going to be thousands of miles away...

He glances sideways at me. "Don't forget that this was your idea."

"It was the best idea. Of course it was mine."

His answering smile is bleak and disappears almost immediately. I can feel his disheartened mood bringing me down, and before I know it, I'm whining like a five year old.

"Why did this happen? Why me? Why not Mr. Blume? Hell, why not Bella?"

Edward stares blackly at the road ahead. "It's my fault. I was a fool to expose you like that." The rage in his voice is directed internally.

"That's not what I meant," I insist. "I mean, yes, you screwed up. But it didn't bother the other two. Why did this James character decide to kill me? There are people all over Forks, why me?"

He hesitates, thinking before answering. "I got a good look at his mind tonight. I'm not sure if there's anything I could have done to avoid this – at least, not after he'd already seen you. It is partially your fault." His voice is wry. "If you didn't smell so…"

"Appallingly luscious?" I fill in helpfully. The corners of his mouth lift up at that.

"Appallingly luscious, yes. He might not have bothered if you didn't smell so appallingly luscious. But when I defended you… I guess I made it a lot worse. He's not used to being thwarted, no matter how insignificant the person. He thinks of himself as a hunter and nothing else. His existence is consumed with tracking, and a challenge is all he asks of life. Suddenly we've presented him with a beautiful challenge; a large clan of strong fighters all bent on protecting the one vulnerable – sorry, it's true – element. You wouldn't believe how euphoric he is now. It's his favourite game, and we've just made it his most excited game ever." Edward's tone is full of disgust. He pauses for a moment before continuing with helpless frustration. "But if I had stood by, he would have killed you right then."

"I thought… I didn't smell the same to the others as I do to you," I say hesitantly, trying not to sound like a brat who was being told she wasn't special.

"You don't," he says assuredly. "But that doesn't mean that you aren't still a temptation. You're still human – still filled with blood."

I fold my arms across my chest. Why couldn't I have been born with Kool Aid running through my veins?

"I don't think I have any choice but to kill him now," Edward mutters, interrupting my absurd thoughts. "Carlisle won't like it."

I hear the tires cross the bridge, though I can't see the river in the dark. I know we're getting close. "Aren't the other two going to put up a fight?"

"The woman will. I'm not sure about Laurent. They don't have a very strong bond – he's only with them for convenience. He was embarrassed by James in the meadow…"

"But James and the woman, they'll try to kill you?" I ask concernedly. The last thing I want is for Edward's death to be on my hands. Hell, I don't want Edward's death to be on anyone's hands.

"Jessica, don't you dare waste your time worrying about me. Your only concern is keeping yourself safe and please, please try not to be reckless."

I ignore that last bit. "Is he still following?"

"Yes," says Edward, glancing at the rearview mirror. "He won't attack the house, though. Not tonight."

He turns off onto the invisible drive, with Alice following behind. We drive right up to the house. The lights inside are bright, but they do little to alleviate the blackness of the forest. Emmett has my door open before the car stops; he pulls me out of the seat, tucks me like a football into his monstrous chest, and runs me through the door.

"Touchdown!" he roars as we burst into the large white room, Edward and Alice at our sides. All of them are there; they're already on their feet at the sound of our approach. Laurent stands in their midst. I can hear low growls rumble deep in Emmett's throat as he sets me down next to Edward.

"He's tracking us," Edward announces, glaring balefully at Laurent.

Laurent's face is unhappy. "I was afraid of that."

Alice dances to Jasper's side and whispers in his ear; her lips quiver with the speed of her silent speech. They fly up the stairs together. Rosalie watches them, and then moves quickly to Emmett's side. Her eyes are intense and – when they flicker unwillingly to my face – almost furious.

"What will he do?" Carlisle asks Laurent in chilling tones.

"I'm sorry," he answers, not sounding sorry at all in my opinion. "I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?"

Laurent shakes his head. "Nothing stops James when he gets started."

"We will." Emmett growls. There's no doubt what he means.

"You can't bring him down. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven."

His coven, I think, of course. The show of leadership in the clearing was merely that, a show. What a pussy.

Laurent's shaking his head. He glances at me, perplexed, and back to Carlisle. "Are you sure it's worth it?"

My mouth drops open, but Edward's enraged roar fills the room before I can snap at Laurent. I catch Laurent cringe back.

Carlisle looks gravely at Laurent. "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice."

Laurent deliberates for the slightest of moments. "I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north – to that clan in Denali." He hesitated. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on… I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry." He bows his head, but I see him flicker another puzzled look at me. I try to hold it back – I really do – but it's impossible.

"How can you say that?" I ask, taking a step forward. Edward steps forward as well, but I throw him a 'don't start with me' look before turning on Laurent again. "How can you say that without being completely disgusted with yourself?"

Laurent looks at Carlisle and Edward, as though asking for permission to talk to me. "I – I'm not sure what she means."

"**She** is standing right here," I snap. "And here's what I mean, Sherlock. From what I gather, all vampires are born equal – with the exception of those with weirdo abilities like Edward here. If James is as brilliant as you say, it isn't because he was made that way. It's because he grew a pair of balls, unlike you, and lived up to his potential. The biggest advantage to being what you are is the absence of fear, but you're running off to Denali now because you're **afraid** of James. You're a damn waste of a vampire."

Emmett whistles lowly. Rosalie's eyebrows are raised high up on her forehead, though I can't tell if she's impressed or appalled by how stupid I am. Carlisle walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder before turning to Laurent. "Go in peace, Laurent."

Laurent, who still looks stricken from my outburst, leaves out the door as though he's underwater. The silence lasts less than a second.

"Damn, Stanley." (Emmett)

"She's going to get herself killed." (Rosalie)

"Rosalie!" (Esme)

"How close?" Carlisle looks to Edward. Esme's already moving; her hand touches an inconspicuous keypad on the wall, and with a groan, huge metal shutters begin sealing up the glass wall. I gape, feeling like I'm in a Bond movie.

"About three miles out past the river," Edward replies. "He's circling around to meet up with the female."

"What's the plan?"

"We'll lead him off, and then Jasper and Alice will run her south."

"And then?"

Edward's tone is deadly. "As soon as Jessica is clear, we hunt him."

"I guess there's no other choice," Carlisle agrees, his face grim.

Edward turns to Rosalie. "Get her upstairs and trade clothes."

She stares back at him with livid disbelief. "Why should I? What is she to me? Except a menace – a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us."

I raise my eyebrows at that, but I know better than to say anything. Something tells me this has to do with a lot more than just me. Edward, however, looks away from Rosalie as if she hasn't spoken. "Esme?"

"Of course," Esme murmurs. She's at my side in half a heartbeat, grabbing my arm and pulling me up the stairs.

"What are we doing?" I ask breathlessly as we screech to a stop in a dark room somewhere off the second-story hall.

"Trying to confuse the smell. It won't work for long, but it might help get you out." I can hear her clothes falling to the floor.

"Esme, I don't think I'll fit…" I hesitate, but her hands are abruptly pulling my shirt over my head. Not wanting to be stripped by Edward's mother, I quickly yank my jeans off myself. She hands me something that feels like a shirt, so I yank it over my head. As soon as I'm done, she hands me her slacks. They're way too long, so she rolls the hems a few times. She pulls me back to the stairs where Alice stands, a small leather bag in her hand.

They each grab one of my elbows and half-carry me as they fly down the stairs. It appears that everything's been settled downstairs in our absence. Edward and Emmett are ready to leave, Emmett carrying a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder. Carlisle's handing something small to Esme. He turns and hands Alice the same thing – a tiny silver cell phone.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your car, Jessica," he tells me as he passes. I nod, glancing warily at Rosalie. I wouldn't trust her with my hamster (RIP Nibbles), let alone my car.

"Alice, Jasper – take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south," Carlisle continues without missing a beat. Alice and Jasper nod. "And we'll be taking the Jeep."

For a moment, I'm surprised that Carlisle intends to go with Edward. I realize suddenly, with a stab of fear, that they've made up the hunting party.

"Alice," says Carlisle. "Will they take the bait?"

Everyone watches Alice as she closes her eyes and becomes incredibly still. Finally her eyes fly open. "He'll track you. The woman will follow Jessica's car. We should be able to leave after that."

"Let's go." Carlisle begins to walk toward the kitchen.

But Edward's at my side at once. "Are you sure about this?"

"Seriously?" Rosalie calls from across the room, looking irritated. "We can't change the plan now, regardless of what the princess thinks."

I glance up at Edward, fighting a smirk. "If it's worth anything, the princess is sure about this."

Edward glares at Rosalie for a long moment before turning back to me. Before I can come up with the sassiest goodbye my mind can muster, he pulls my face to his, practically lifting my feet off the floor. I'm caught up in the moment for a total of 2.5 seconds before Rosalie's groan of protest makes me snort slightly with laughter. Then it's over, and it's too late. I throw a glare in the blonde vampire's direction – thanks a lot. Edward sets me down, his eyes burning into mine. They go blank, completely emotionless, as he turns away. And then he's gone.

The others look away from me as we stand there in the Cullen house, as though they're expecting me to burst into tears. And for a moment, I'm afraid I will. But then my nose tickles, and every single remaining vampire jumps as my monstrous sneeze fills the silence.

Before anyone can react, Esme's phone vibrates in her hand. It flashes to her ear.

"Now," she says. Rosalie stalks to the front door, but she pauses in the doorway to glance back at me. For a second, I think she might say something. Maybe even throw an insult in my direction. But she turns on her heel and disappears into the night. Esme touches my cheek as she passes, heading after Rosalie.

"Be safe." Her whisper lingers behind her as she slips out the door. I hear my car start with a clean whir, and then fade away.

Jasper and Alice wait. Alice's phone seems to be at her ear before it buzzes. "Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car." She vanishes into the shadows the way Edward had gone.

Jasper and I look at each other. He stands across the length of the entryway from me, obviously trying to be careful, but he looks curious.

"What?" I ask apprehensively, not sure if I want to hear the answer.

"You're wrong, you know," he says quietly – that's the only way I've ever heard him speak, in a bare whisper.

"I highly doubt it," I reply almost automatically. But my own curiosity gets the better of me. "… But if I was wrong about something, what would it be?"

"I can feel what you're feeling now – and you are worth it."

I blink. I don't even realize until that moment that I'm feeling horribly guilty. Edward's family is putting themselves on the line to save my ass – me, of all people. If they were trying to save someone like Angela, there would be no need to feel guilty. And yet, here I am, being the little bitch that puts the Cullen family in danger. 'Dammit,' I think. 'Rosalie's right. This is my worst nightmare.'

"You're wrong," Jasper repeats, and my jaw nearly falls right out of my mouth when he smiles kindly at me. "Trust me."

Alice steps through the front door at that moment. "It's go time. What're you two talking about?"

"Kristen Stewart's infidelity," I say quickly before Jasper can reply. I see his eyes sparkle with laughter out of the corner of my eye, but I try not to look at him. "Let's go."

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :)


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